#- Multi video resolutions

[techdriveplay]

How to Get the Most Out of Your Smart TV

In the modern era, entertainment technology has revolutionised the way we consume media, and smart TVs have become a cornerstone of this transformation. They offer a wealth of features and capabilities far beyond traditional television sets. To truly maximise their potential, it’s essential to understand how to get the most out of your smart TV. This guide will explore tips, tricks, and best…

[eregyrn-falls-art]

And here it is at last! The Gravity Falls Multi-Artist Lyric Comic tribute to the Stan Twins, "Trouble"!

Stay tuned, as @stariousfalls is working on making all of this into a video version. That will be coming along in the next few weeks!

EDIT: here is the video!

And of course, Happy Birthday to Dipper and Mabel! (Even if this project was Grunkles-centric, Stan and Ford's stories wouldn't have come to such a heart-warming resolution if it wasn't for their niblings. Credit where it's due!)

Some credits and acknowledgements below the read-more:

(I'll have remarks and thanks in another post; but for now, thank you SO MUCH TO EVERYONE who worked on this and made it spectacular!)

CREDITS:

Polaroid Collage One: elishevart, zephrunsimperium, pinkplatiploo, mother-ofthe-universedraws, fordtato, shadeartstuff, creativepup, skysdrawings

I've been a beggar: lemonfodrizzleart

And I've been a king: kingsofjersey

I've been a loner: muria-art

And I've worn the ring: everlight_283 (instagram)

Losing myself: batman-gif

Just to find me again: tazmiilly & gin-juice-tonic

I'm a million miles smarter: eregyrn-falls-art & stephreynaart

But I ain't learned a thing: annakitsun3

I've been a teacher: gobblewanker

And a student of hurt: skysdrawings

I kept my word: orangephoenix6

For whatever that's worth: mother-ofthe-universedraws

Never been last: jackyjackdraws

But I've never been first: jasmine-sketchbook

Oh I may not be the best: stephreynaart

But I'm far from the worst: spectralreplica

Oh I may not be the best: elishevart

But I'm far from the worst: zkyeline

Oh, I've seen trouble: fexiled / fexalted

More than any man should bear: mischieflily

But I've seen enough joy: ginandshattereddreams

I've had more than my share: gin-juice-tonic

And I'm still not done: morcian-draws

I'm only halfway there: jamesfenimoreharper

I'm a million miles ahead of where I'm from: fordtato

But there's still another million miles to come: deerpines, orangephoenix6 & fordtato

Polaroid Collage Two: creativepup, cbmagus49, inkdrawndreamer, bluefrostyy, mother-ofthe-universedraws, fordtato, bewildred-grimsley, shadeartstuff, alphazed

Oh I keep on searching for the City of Gold: vililae

So I'm gonna follow this yellow brick road: cbmagus49

Thinking that maybe it might lead me on: cutebatart

I'm a million miles farther: hellmandraws

And a long way from home: eregyrn-falls-art

I know that there's a plan that goes way beyond mine: possumbreath

Got to step back just to see the design: pottersfieldcustodian

The mind fears the heart: rechoclo

But the heart doesn't mind: novantinuum

Oh I may not be perfect: tazmiilly

But I'm loving this life: hubbabubbagumpop

Oh I may not be perfect: athgalla-arts

But I'm loving this life: thisiswhereidraw

Oh I've seen trouble: purblzart

More than any man should bear: shadowofaghost5

But I've seen enough joy: alextwdgf01 & fordtato

I've had more than my share: dragonsheepstudios

And I'm still not done: acetyzias & stephreynaart

I'm only halfway there: cryptidjeepers

I'm a million miles ahead of where I'm from: chiiroptereh

But there's still another million miles to come: stephreynaart

Polaroids Collage Three: cbmagus49; fordsy; fordtato; puppylove24680; sciencevillain; lemonfodrizzleart; mother-ofthe-universedraws; possumbreath

Polaroids Collage Four: jamesfenimoreharper; gin-juice-tonic; rusted-blue; shadowofaghost5; cutebatart; possumbreath; fordtato; nour386

Polaroids Collage Five: fordtato; pinestwinssimp; tazmiillly; melodramaticwolf; eregyrn-falls-art

[deepdreamnights]

Using Vidu to Make Character Turnarounds

Disclosure: I am in the Vidu Artist Program.

Having (at the very least) front and back reference greatly improves the quality of character image prompting. And very often, one finds that they were lazy and only got a couple of bits of character reference. Or they have tons of it in the wrong art style.

A character like Wally Manmoth requires some good reference to work right.

Now, it's not that hard to prompt up something that matches close enough and then modifying the stuff manually until it works, such as I did with TriceraBruce and DeinoSteve:

You can tell Steve's the bad boy because he's got a cool rip in the back of his jacket.

But for Wally, I decided to try out Vidu as a means of getting turnaround frames.

So I loaded Wally's front-view pic (above) into the image-to-video feature, and prompted with:

vintage traditional animation scene (1985) humanoid mammoth/furry elephant wearing a red hawaiian shirt and blue shorts, by filmation and sunbow productions, 90s colors, friendly on green background, streamlined black line art with cel shaded vintage cartoon color, official media, character design fullbody shot on green background. The mammoth-anthro starts facing the camera, turning around to face away from the viewer, providing a view of his back.

I gave it two shots at the 720x quality setting (12 points per, total of 24), and got:

Huh. Weird it happened twice, etc.

This demonstrates both that the tech is viable for this use, and the reason you'd want to have that multi-view reference. The robot clearly assumes that a luau shirt would have a large print on the back, whereas wally's is a more basic print. That's ultra easy to fix, though.

I started by exporting the last frame of each (or close to it, picking the one that looks cleanest)

While its image editing features and often touch-and-go, one thing the Midjourney edit feature has going for it is it's utility as an upscaler. You load the image in, make your tweaks (just a little bit of background if you're just upscaling) and then upscale and at the very least you have 2048x2048 worth of resolution.

I used the midjourney edit process, that got those two images to the following state, as a test.

The results are good, but getting the large trees to erase-and-replace out took several attempts, and just doing it in photoshop then using the editor to upscale would have been faster.

This is why we do tests.

I went with the slightly-at-an-angle one for the main reference sheet. I'll be keeping the straight-on-back-shot in case it winds up being useful for specific scenes down the line.

In photoshop, I touched up the shirt print, made sure the colors where consistent, and simplified the hair coloration to something more period-plausible.

No more giant trees on the back! On the other hand, I think the feet sprouting toes on the heel is going to be something I'll be fixing frame-by-frame until there's another revision.

Human characters will induce these issues less often. I just stick with my genre of choice.

Midjourney was not cooperating with TyrannoMax (it really doesn't like giving him the proportions I like, preferring to make him a weird big-head salamander), so I went the same direction, resulting in this stage 1 front/back:

Only Midjourney refused to work with it, at all. Declaring everything that came out of it too lewd for its internal censor. Apparently, this hunky relative of cheesasaurus rex is too sexy for general consumption. Nevermind that it's a cartoon lizard in a shade tangello orange.

The workaround is too dumb for words.

Slam the hue slider until it's off anything that could be perceived as a human skintone.

Then make the modifications. Here I had to rework the leg several times, and do a lot of tweaking to remove-overinking. Then I popped it back out, droped it back into lineart, re-colored it, and and composited it back together:

And voila, a front and back for Max. I shortened his tail, as the longer tails have been causing problems with confusing the image prompting systems. The armor skirt has scallops to accommodate the tail, which looked better more consistently than the flaps folding around the tail.

The results are, thus far, encouraging.

Of course, if the back of your character has any unexpected details, you're going to have to add those in after the fact or include them in the prompting, and you're going to be making a lot of edits regardless (as you should).

Oh, and Max has a sword now.

A blade of amber crystal with a fossilized femur grip and a faceted dino-eye that should be far enough away from the Eye of Thundera for safety. A roleplay-toy friendly trademark weapon, usually a sword, was a must-have for 80s action-adventure lines despite the fact that you'd never see it used on anything that wasn't a robot, living statue, or skeleton.

Thus the sword's gimmick is it cleaves through non-living matter with ease but anything BS&P doesn't want subjected to a stabbin's is encased in amber crystal: locked in place if partially encased, put into suspended animation if fully encased. A nice, nonlethal use for a magic sword.

It's proportioned like a gladius, but is generally interpreted as larger, approaching a broadsword, in keeping with the generally ridiculous blade sizes of kidvid fantasy. They're just more fun when they're stupidly huge.

Is "Sword of Eons" too on the nose?

[jd07201990]

I’ll admit, this one was a real challenge. But that never stops JD Marketing Solutions, LLC from fulfilling our contracts. I’ll even bet you’ve seen many of our Ads out there, selling sports gear, energy drinks, shoes, hygiene products, etc. Hell, if you’ve walked through the Men’s underwear aisle of any store, you’ll have seen our work. Models. Exact – to – order, custom designed walking – talking billboards that draw eyes to them, and whatever it is they’re created to sell. Their entire existence built from a spec-sheet that wealthy companies, and… well, private investors, pay 8-9 figures to fill out and submit. If your company has a need for perfect male specimens who’ve been programmed to your specific, needs, you can find our Sales team contact at Build-A-Boy . com. Now we have a prime example of our work, although he needs quite a bit more mental rewiring. Tanner here tends to escape our facility and dart about the grounds, attempting to flee back to his pointless life in college at least twice a month. His psychological strength against our state-of-the-art brain-wiping protocols is astounding. Although as you can clearly see, he can fight the brain wipe, but his body has followed our plans to the letter. He’ll soon be strutting around multi-million dollar photography studios, hawking Athletic Gear to aspiring males who would give anything to look like him. For now, we’ll continue to allow him to inadvertently add an hour or so of high-intensity cardio to his already grueling workout regime, as he bolts between buildings, thinking he’s nearly free. All the while our cameras snap thousands of high-resolution photos and video clips, providing us with more evidence of our immaculate work. Tanner added another zero to his buyer’s bill when he sprinted across our lawn in that high end jockstrap, the sun blazing above and sweat beading down his impeccable torso, while our slow-motion cameras streamed his precision athletic training to a private buyer in the Czech Republic. The Clothing company made the wise choice to out-spend the private investor, or Tanner would have been on a private within 6 months, depending on how long it took to finally break his stubborn mind.

[dromeoraptor]

Siphonophores, the "Multi-Organism Organisms"

Siphonophores are really weird. They're like multicellular² organisms. A multi-cellular organism is made of multiple cells, most of them physically attatched to each other. They're all clones of the original zygote cell, (in most animals at least, and I think most things that reproduce via sexual reproduction) and while each cell is alive in its own right, they act as one organism. A siphonophore is made of multiple zooids (each zooid is homologous to an independent organism. So each nectophore is its own "jellyfish."), all of them physically attatched to each other. They're all clones of the original protozooid, and while each zooid is alive in its own right, they act as one organism. At least practically. I don't think we label the word "organism" to the siphonophore as a whole? I'm not sure actually. Normal animals could sorta be considered "single-zooided organisms"

(Diagram of Nanomia bijuga from here. Original drawing by Freya Goetez.) ... and so I went to look at the wikipedia article for organism to see if that helped in figuring out what label the colony goes under...

and it turns out what an organism even is isn't clear. Honestly, it reminds me of the species problem. The whole thing of "what is a species? Are species even natural things or are they just categories we use to better understand the tree of life?" and stuff like that.

Image from the wikipedia article on Species. We have these concepts that are so intuitive to us, these obvious base boxes to separate life into. A box for each type of thing. A box for each living thing. Until we get these edge cases that show us that that these boxes aren't natural. They're useful, absolutely! But it's not something with sharp edges. It's gradients. In conclusion. I think I know what a siphonophore is doing, and how it works. The question of "is a siphonophore an organism" is less about what a siphonophore is, and more about what an organism is. And the answer is... "idfk it's an edge case" edit: So I watched the alien ocean video on Siphonophores and found this really cool quote. Here's the full version of the quote (or well the full version from the paper she cites. I think Gould's quote has a bit cut out of it hence the ellipsis.

For Wilson (1975), “the resolution of the paradox is that siphonophores are both organisms and colonies. Structurally and embryonically they qualify as organisms. Phylogenetically they originated as colonies.” For Gould (1984), “the siphonophore paradox does have an answer of sorts, and a profound one at that. The answer is that we asked the wrong question….. Are siphonophores organisms or colonies? Both and neither; they lie in the middle of a continuum where one grades into the other.”

from (Mackie, G. O., Pugh, P. R., & Purcell, J. E. (1988). Siphonophore biology. In Advances in Marine biology (Vol. 24, pp. 97-262). Academic Press.)

[kremlin]

could you explain for the "it makes the game go faster" idiots like myself what a GPU actually is? what's up with those multi thousand dollar "workstation" ones?

ya, ya. i will try and keep this one as approachable as possible

starting from raw reality. so, you have probably dealt with a graphics card before, right, stick in it, connects to motherboard, ass end sticks out of case & has display connectors, your vga/hdmi/displayport/whatever. clearly, it is providing pixel information to your monitor. before trying to figure out what's going on there, let's see what that entails. these are not really simple devices, the best way i can think to explain them would start with "why can't this be handled by a normal cpu"

a bog standard 1080p monitor has a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, each comprised of 3 bytes (for red, blue, & green), which are updated 60 times a second:

~3 gigs a second is sort of a lot. on the higher end, with a 4k monitor updating 144 times a second:

17 gigs a second is definitely a lot. so this would be a good "first clue" there is some specialized hardware handling that throughput unrelated the cpu. the gpu. this would make sense, since your cpu is wholly unfit for dealing with this. if you've ever tried to play some computer game, with fancy 3D graphics, without any kind of video acceleration (e.g. without any kind of gpu [1]) you'd quickly see this, it'd run pretty slowly and bog down the rest of your system, the same way having a constantly-running program that is copying around 3-17GB/s in ram

it's worth remembering that displays operate isochronously -- they need to be fed pixel data at specific, very tight time timings. your monitor does not buffer pixel information, whatever goes down the wire is displayed immediately. not only do you have to transmit pixel data in realtime, you have to also send accompanying control data (e.g. data that bookends the pixel data, that says "oh this is the end of the frame", "this is the begining of the frame, etc", "i'm changing resolutions", etc) within very narrow timing tolerances otherwise the display won't work at all

3-17GB/s may not be a lot in the context of something like a bulk transfer, but it is a lot in an isochronous context, from the perspective of the cpu -- these transfers can't occur opportunistically when a core is idle, they have to occur now, and any core that is assigned to transmit pixel data has stop and drop whatever its doing immediately, switch contexts, and do the transfer. this sort of constant pre-empting would really hamstring the performance of everything else running, like your userspace programs, the kernel, etc.

so for a long list of reasons, there has to be some kind of special hardware doing this job. gpu.

instead of calculating every pixel value manually, the cpu just needs to give a high-level geometric overview of what it wants rendered, and does this with vertices. a vertex is very simple, it's just a point in 3D space, for example (5,2,3). just like a coordinate grid on paper with an extra dimension. with just a few vertices, you can have models like this:

where each dot at the intersection of lines in the above image, would be a vertex. gpus essentially handle huge number of vertices.

in the context of, like, a 3D video game, you have to render these vertex-based models conditionally. you're viewing it at some distance, at some angle, and the model is lit from some light source, and has perhaps some shadows cast across it, etc -- all of this requires a huge amount of vertex math that has to be calculated within the same timeframes as i described before -- and that is what a gpu is doing, taking a vertex-defined 3D environment, and running this large amount of computation in parallel. unlike your cpu which may only have, idk, 4-32 execution cores, your gpu has thousands -- they're nowhere near as featureful as your cpu cores, they can only do very specific simple math with vertices, but there's a ton of them, and they run alongside each other.

so that is what a gpu "does", in as few words as i can write

the things in the post you're referring to (V100/A100/H100 tensor "gpus") are called gpus because they are also periperal hardware that does a specific kind of math, massively, in parallel, they are just designed and fabricated by the same companies that make gpus so they're called gpus (annoyingly). they don't have any video output, and would probably be pretty bad at doing that kind of work. regular gpus excel at calculating vertices, tensor gpus operate on tensors, which are like matrixes, but with arbitrary numbers of dimensions. try not to think about it visually. they also use a weirder float. they're used for things like "artificial intelligence", training LLMs and whatever, but also for real things, like scientific weather/economy/particle models or simulations

they're very expensive because they cost the same, if not more, than what it cost to design & fabricate regular video gpus, but with a trillionth of the customer base. for every ten million rat gamers that will buy a gpu there is going to be one business buying one A100 or whatever.

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[crescentfool]

so you want to use OBS

hello! i’ve decided to compile information on my OBS setup and some resources that have helped me along the way.  this is mostly for personal reference, but maybe others can make use of this information!

some notes before i get into it:

i use OBS for both offline recording and (twitch) streaming. any footage i record is edited using DaVinci Resolve 18, which is free.

most of my OBS captures are of video games (through a USB capture card, specifically elgato), and the occasional screen/application capture (like clip studio paint, and sometimes PC games).

as such, the information here is reflective of these experiences. this post is not comprehensive to all of OBS’s features- this is just an overview of the settings and configurations that are most relevant to me.

with that out of the way, all the information will be under the cut!

Basic Setup

file format:

how to change: settings -> output -> recording -> recording format -> press “apply” once finished!

I save most of my recordings as .mkv files- it supports multi-track audio! i prefer .mkv over .mp4 because if your power goes out, you still have a recording to work with. 

.mkv files can be read by DaVinci Resolve without an issue- but for Adobe software, they'll need to be remuxed to .mp4 within OBS! (file -> remux recordings -> press the … to select a file -> press the “remux” button)

video resolution and framerate:

how to change: settings -> video -> output (scaled) resolution

my obs canvas is @ 1920 x 1080p (16:9)

i switch between 720p and 1080p as needed! if you're concerned about space, you can probably just go for 720p. i also record at 30 fps, simply because that’s what my capture card supports.

video bitrate:

how to change: settings -> output -> encoder settings (located in both the streaming and recording tab) -> press “apply” once finished!

bitrate is a bit of a doozy to explain, but the most important thing to know is that bitrate affects your video’s quality. lower numbers = lower quality, while higher numbers = higher quality. 

generally speaking, you'll want higher bitrate when you're recording things with high depth of information (e.g. you’d want a higher bitrate for something fast-paced like splatoon, compared to a slower-paced game like animal crossing).

my video bitrate is either set to 3000 or 4000 kbps! and here's some of my other (related) settings while i'm at it:

you can put your bitrate at much higher values than me if you're a stickler for quality- but keep in mind that a higher bitrate means:

bigger file size

more information to upload (when streaming)

your computer will need to encode more

i’d recommend reading twitch’s guidelines on encoding, bitrate, resolution, and framerate to get an idea of what values to pick. for people who are doing offline recording or streaming on a different platform, i suggest googling the appropriate resources!

multi-track audio:

this is mostly applicable to anyone looking to do video editing!

multi-track audio basically allows you to separate your audio sources (e.g. discord, game audio, and your own microphone) into different tracks. 

this is an immensely helpful tool because it lets you adjust audio levels in post-production (editing). some examples of how this can be used:

increasing someones microphone volume if they speak too softly

increasing/decreasing game audio

muting swear words/sensitive information

completely muting voice call + microphone if you want to upload a no commentary video

and more!

to set this up, take a look at your audio mixer panel, and press the ⚙ icon. this will bring up advanced audio properties.

by checkmarking a track box, it puts the audio on that track. to make the above screenshot easier to digest:

track 1 consists of ALL three audio sources- desktop, elgato, and microphone.

track 2 only has the microphone audio.

track 3 only has desktop audio (i use this for voice calls)

track 4 only has the elgato capture card audio (game audio). the volume has also been lowered so that any speaking voices can be heard clearly.

tracks 5 and 6 are unused.

you might be wondering, “why do all three of these have 1 checked off?” this is what i call the universal audio track. i recommend having a universal audio track for a few reasons:

when you stream from OBS onto twitch/youtube- you have to select ONE audio track.

it’s also a nice backup in case you didn’t separate your audio correctly.

if for whatever reason you need to move around your individual audio tracks in editing, the universal track acts as a nice reference point.

mark off your audio tracks for each audio source as you see fit! once you’re finished with the advanced audio properties, go to settings > output.

for the streaming tab, you’ll want to have the number of your universal audio track selected. in my case, that will be audio track 1.

for the recording tab, checkmark all the audio tracks that are applicable to you (in my case, audio tracks 1, 2, 3, and 4). by default, only audio track 1 is selected.

if you don’t check off the additional audio tracks in the output > recordings section, you will not have access to those audio tracks in editing, and you won’t be able to edit your audio tracks independently of each other. so don’t forget to do this! 👍

custom browser docks

custom browser docks are a great tool for when you’re streaming and want to have access to your twitch chat and/or activity feed! (or if you wanted to have some other web browser on OBS).

to create one, go to docks -> custom browser docks.

you’ll be given a table interface that asks you to put the dock name and URL. for streamers who want to have chat and alerts available, do the following:

on twitch’s homepage, go to the upper right and click your icon

then, click creator dashboard

once you’re on your dashboard, go to stream manager

click the vertical “...” on my chat OR activity feed.

press “pop-out chat” OR “pop-out activity feed”

copy and paste the link into the table back into OBS

press apply once you’re done

click and drag the docks around at your leisure to put them where you like!

if you ever decide you don’t want to have something on your OBS dock (or want to bring something back), go to the toolbar, click “docks,” and click the appropriate dock!

third party things

a section of optional things that you may enjoy having.

streamlabs alerts

this is basically for anyone who streams and wants to have their chat and/or follower notifications visualized on screen!

streamlab alerts can be added to OBS by adding a browser source into your scene, and the specifics can be customized on streamlabs itself. it’s pretty self-explanatory, so i’ll just leave a link to streamlabs website, where you can log in using the streaming platform of your choice: https://streamlabs.com/

discord overlay

this is a browser source that can be set up to show people who are in a server's voice chat and who speaks. i recommend this to people who make multiplayer content- it can help viewers distinguish who is who but also it can be helpful in editing.

to set this up, go to https://streamkit.discord.com/overlay, click “install for OBS,” and after logging in with discord, go to “voice widget” and click the server and voice channel you want.

you are able to apply CSS if you'd like more control over the visuals, but the standard layout tends to work fine for me! a search of “discord overlay css” on youtube can help you get more information.

veadotube mini

this is a pngtuber software that a friend recommended to me! no webcam is required- mouth opening and closing is based on your microphone input!

you can download it here (it’s pay what you want!): https://olmewe.itch.io/veadotube-mini

for a proper tutorial on how to use it, i recommend checking out the app's documentation, which you can read here: https://veado.tube/help/

source record

have you ever wanted to stream something with a chat overlay/layout, but wanted your recording to ONLY be the gameplay? or maybe you wanted to record BOTH your gameplay AND your webcam so that you can have a crisp zoom-in on your webcam!

source record is a third party plugin that can help you with that!

the general gist of source record involves applying the “source record” filter on either a scene or source, and customizing the encoding settings accordingly. the exact details of how to set it up is beyond the scope of this post, so I'll just direct people to this video instead (it was very helpful to me):

⚠ a quick note about source record: this plugin can be intense for your computer. be sure to do test recordings and the like to see what your computer can handle (and see if the recordings come out the way you like). it took me a few tests before i settled onto something i liked!

you can download and install source record here: https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/source-record.1285/

vdo.ninja

have you ever wanted to do a collaborative video or stream where you feature someone else’s video on your stream? or maybe you’re doing a multi-person streaming event! vdo.ninja is the perfect tool for you!

vdo.ninja turns your OBS virtual camera into a browser source link- which your collaborator can add on their stream! this is a new tool that i’ve added to my arsenal recently- since my friend and i are planning to stream a side order challenge together! i’ve still got to iron it out a bit more, but i like what i’ve used of it so far.

try it out for yourself at their website here (with documentation and demos available on the homepage!): https://vdo.ninja/ (no downloads required!)

ok! i’m set up! what now?

and with that, that’s all of the settings and tools that i thought would be worth mentioning! while most of my setup was written with video games in mind, some of these plugins and setups may be applicable to other types of videos (e.g. tabletop gaming with a physical camera)!

now that i’ve outlined all these settings, i have one more thing i have to say: regardless of what you're using OBS for, do a test recording before doing anything “official” with it. this recording can be as short as 30 seconds. it’s a good habit to develop that can make sure your streams/recordings turn out the way you want them to!

here are the kinds of things i like to check! it’s not an exhaustive list, but this can be a starting point:

video:

does my video look the way i want it to (and can my computer handle that)?

can my computer handle the load of encoding? - OBS will note in the bottom if the encoding is overloaded. if it can’t handle it, turn down your bitrate or adjust other encoding settings (e.g. i had to toggle psycho visual tuning OFF because it was causing lag)

this is especially the case if you're recording PC games- you don’t want to have slowdown on either your game or the recording!

audio:

are my audio sources (e.g. desktop audio and microphone) correct? - if you plug/unplug devices a lot, be sure to check this (settings -> audio).

are any of my audio sources muted? - make sure you don’t have anything on 🔇 if you don’t want it to be muted! otherwise the audio will be lost forever… (i lost my friend’s VC audio once… it was sad)

are my audio tracks separated properly? - requires you to boot up your editing software, but it's worth doing! for the test recording, just have something from all your sources playing at once, and see if your editor has things separated into tracks.

can i hear the voices clearly? or does the music and/or game overpower them?

if for whatever reason your OBS crashes, or you want more information on anything “critical” or “warning” worthy in your set-up, you can go to help > log files > upload current log file > analyze. crash logs currently can’t be analyzed by the log analyzer- but they’re a valuable tool when asking for help on the OBS forums!

and that’s all! for real, this time. i hope that some of these tools and settings can help anyone wanting to get more out of OBS. there’s definitely other things i didn’t touch upon (e.g. audio filters for noise compression, suppression, etc.), so i suggest doing your own research and trying things out!

happy recording/streaming, and thanks for reading! ✨

[ggg-rumpus-map]

ABOUT.

This is a sideblog to help organize and provide updates for the upcoming Great God Grove Multi Animator Project, RUMPUS!

The project is currently in the early stages of behind-the-scenes planning and is not yet available for applications. If you want to stay updated, follow us here.

FAQ and other information below the cut!

FAQ

What is a MAP?

A MAP is a multi animator project. It’s where several or more artists and animators come together to make a single animated video, to help take the workload off of others, as each person only does a small portion.

What would this MAP be about?

The main content of the MAP is to cover all of the implied post-game. Its focus will be on a single day: The celebration of King’s ascension! It will also touch up on many other things that happen during the celebrations, including the repairing of damaged relationships, the rebuilding of trust, community, and love, and the healing that is to be found there. More specifically, it will show how the entire grove is moving on and healing from the damage the near apocalypse caused to their community. We intend to include all areas of the game, and as many characters as possible. It’s also intended to be a sort of love letter to the game and community!

Who is hosting?

@scribblelimbo and @clickety-clacker are both moderators here, and hosting the project itself!

Is there a script?

The MAP itself is semi-scripted. Certain parts will have more set scripts than others, but the majority of it will have loose guidelines that provide direction, while still allowing for artistic freedom. We'll be dropping the official script at a later date. Though it is already finished, we want to give ourselves time to tweak and review before anything final.

Are there set designs?

Nope! While we do ask that any designs used are still recognizable as canon characters, using your own designs, interpretations, and headcanons of them is allowed.

I can't animate, can I still participate?

Yes! We are allowing new and inexperienced animators. We're happy to provide resources, tips, and tricks to help you along the way! If you don't feel comfortable or don't have the time to animate, we allow applications for still artists to assist animators with things like backgrounds, props, and thumbnails!

Is there an official document?

The official document isn't public yet, as it also contains our script!

How can I join?

When applications open, we will post a link to a google form. Applications are not yet open. We plan to open them once we've revealed our script and map call.

When will we get more information?

Tentatively, around late March! Both mods are working hard behind the scenes on both this and other projects, and want to make sure we give it the best start we can- and that takes time! If you're interested in this project, follow us here- we'll make sure to keep you updated!

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Note: some of these are subject to change once we drop the official map call, but as of right now, these are our current plans.

What resolution is the MAP in?

We ask that all scenes submitted are 1920x1080 pixels, at 300dpi.

What FPS should animations be in?

The final product will run at 24fps. For your animations, anything within that multiple (24fps, 12fps, 6fps) are allowed. 30fps and 18fps are not.

How does the final product have to look?

The main thing that we ask is that the product is colored and polished. We do not have a set 'artstyle' we want you to follow- in fact, we encourage you to use your own style and get creative! By 'polished', we simply mean that there has been clear effort put into it, and there are no parts left looking unfinished or uncolored. Polish has nothing to do with 'skill level', all skill levels are allowed.

What style of animation is allowed?

All animation styles are allowed. As long as you match the FPS and polish standard, frame-by-frame, tweening, and even 3D animation and animatic style, etc is all allowed.

How should it be exported to the hosts?

We ask that your final product is exported as a set of .png images, which should be compressed and sent to the hosts that way. This is to help avoid potential corruption of .mov or .mp4 files. If this doesn't work for you or you need help doing so, contact us!

I have more questions!

Send us an ask! We're more than happy to communicate and answer any questions you might have.

[beardedmrbean]

More than a year has passed since elected leaders in Congress last heard from experts about mystifying objects outmaneuvering our military and claims of shadowy government programs to study alien spaceships.

The now-infamous congressional hearing was one filled with sensational claims about UFOs. Despite the government's rebranding of UFOs with a less-stigmatized acronym – unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP – the hearing still captivated a public long obsessed with ideas of flying saucers and little green men.

So, when military officers spent hours providing compelling testimony about not just strange craft whizzing unchecked through U.S. air space, but about a concerted effort of our government to capture and study those craft, the public was hooked.

The hearing served to reignite long-held public suspicions that the U.S. military and other high levels of government are suppressing information about extraterrestrial activity and galvanized a movement for transparency. Now that a little more than a year has gone by, the government has signaled that after years of secrecy, it's slowly coming around to the idea of sharing more information publicly.

But some lawmakers and advocates say it hasn't been enough. And now, they're on the verge of delving into the topic of UAP once again Wednesday.

Ahead of the next congressional hearing, here's what has happened since Congress' last foray into UFOs.

July 2023: Military officials testify about UFOs at last congressional hearing

In the July 2023 hearing, House members heard testimony from two former Navy pilots who came forward with information about objects routinely violating U.S. airspace.

Lt. Ryan Graves and Cmdr. David Fravor each provided accounts of specific incidents they had either witnessed over the years or heard about from other pilots they deemed credible. Some of the accounts they described were of aircrafts displaying capabilities they believed were beyond any known human technology.

Fravor himself was among Navy pilots who spotted the now-famous Tic Tac-shaped object that was captured in 2004 on video during a flight off the coast of Southern California. In testifying about the well-known sighting, Fravor described the oval object as "perfectly white, smooth, no windows," and displaying flight capabilities that were unheard of.

But the most sensational part of the hearing came when former Pentagon intelligence official David Grusch offered testimony about an alleged shadowy "multi-decade" Pentagon program to retrieve and study not only downed spacecraft, but extraterrestrial pilots. Without offering hard evidence, Grusch accused the Pentagon under oath of being aware of extraterrestrial activity since the 1930s and hiding the program from Congress while misappropriating funds to operate it.

The Pentagon has repeatedly denied that such a program exists.

August 2023: Pentagon unveils UFO website with declassified info

Within about two months of the hearing, the Pentagon's office to investigate UFOs revealed a new website for the public to access declassified information about reported sightings.

The site, operated by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) – a relatively new Pentagon program established to analyze UAP reports – also has a mechanism for military pilots to report sightings.

More than a year after launching, the site includes a handful of videos, some of which have been explained as commercial craft and some of which have been labeled as "unresolved." Each video contains a short description with an explanation by AARO of where it was captured and what characteristics the object was exhibiting.

Those who visit the site can also access an assortment of laws, memos, congressional briefings and press releases related to UAP.

But if you're going to the site to look for evidence of aliens, you'll be disappointed. In January, outgoing AARO director Sean Kirkpatrick – since replaced by Jon T. Kosloski – appeared on a podcast and made one thing clear:

"There is no evidence of aliens and there's no evidence of the government conspiracy," he said.

September 2023: NASA releases UAP report, appoints research head

Weeks later, NASA released a long-awaited UFO report affirming that no evidence existed to confirm that alien spaceships have visited Earth.

However, in what Administrator Bill Nelson described as a signal of the agency's transparency, NASA appointed a director of UAP research.

Because of the potential threat posed to national security and air safety, NASA embarked in 2022 on the space agency's first-ever study of UFOs, For the report, experts commissioned by the the space agency outlined ways in which NASA can partner with the U.S. government and private commercial organizations to better study and understand unidentified flying objects.

Legislation aims to declassify records, make reporting easier

In the wake of the hearing, Congress has sought to take action in the form of bipartisan legislation to demystify UFOs for the public.

Last December, President Joe Biden signed into law a watered-down version of a bill seeking the release of the executive branch's UFO records, which was included in an annual defense policy bill.

However, lawmakers like Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and many UFO transparency advocates derided the legislation as disappointment. While the measure directs the government to disclose to the public at least some records about UAP, it grants various agencies wide latitude in concealing certain information.

Then, under a House bill introduced in January, commercial airline pilots who witness crafts flying through the skies in unexplainable ways would be able to report the UFO sightings to the federal government. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-California) and Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wisconsin) both sponsored the bill, which would create a mechanism for civilian pilots and other airline workers to report sightings to the the Federal Aviation Administration.

However, the bill appears to have since stagnated since its introduction.

Alien renaissance in pop culture

The fiery Congressional hearing served to reignite a public obsession with UFOs that first came to focus after the infamous 1947 Roswell incident.

In the past year, Netflix released a docuseries. Brands like MoonPie jumped on the bandwagon. And conspiracy theories flourished. Even the tourism bureau in Lexington, Kentucky, capitalized on the craze with a tongue-in-cheek marketing campaign to encourage extraterrestrials to vacation in the city.

The idea that, absent any immediate logical explanation, strange crafts sighted whizzing through our skies must surely be alien visitors seems to only continue gaining momentum – even as astrophysicists caution that the absence of obvious natural explanations for UFOs doesn't make extraterrestrial ones likely.

Some experts even see the UFO hoopla as "a widespread societal problem."

[satoshi-mochida]

Croc: Legend of the Gobbos PS5 and Switch physical editions announced - Gematsu

Rock It Games will distribute physical editions of the remastered Croc: Legend of the Gobbos for PlayStation 5 and Switch, the company announced.

Pre-orders are available now until December 10 in the following two editions:

Standard Edition (PS5, Switch) – $39.99

A copy of the Croc: Legend of the Gobbos game with full color manual

Collector’s Edition (PS5, Switch) – $129.99

A copy of the Croc: Legend of the Gobbos game with full color manual

Eight-inch resin Croc statue with a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity

Four-disc CD soundtrack consisting of over 100 tracks

PVC Croc keychain

Ultra3DFX sticker sheet

18 inches by 24 inches artwork poster

Premium box

“From the outset, our vision has been to release Croc only when we’re happy with it,” said Argonaut Games founder Jez San in a press release. “We are speed-running towards a December 2024 release and are very close to being complete. However, if we need to add a little more polish, we won’t hesitate to do so. After waiting 27 years, we trust that our dedicated fans can wait a few weeks longer.”

Here is an overview of the game, via Argonauts:

About

Developed by legendary studio Argonaut Games, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos follows the heartwarming journey of an endearing, humble little crocodile equipped with only his iconic backpack and a wiggly butt as he sets off on his quest to rescue the Gobbos from the clutches of the nefarious Baron Dante and his hordes of Dantinis. Croc must platform his way across a series of unique worlds by running, jumping, climbing, swimming, and tail spinning to save the Gobbos from captivity. With its charm and creativity, the original game quickly became a multi-million unit selling platforming classic and the Croc remaster delivers an authentic gameplay experience that will transport players back to the golden age of gaming.

Key Features

High-definition graphics with high resolution textures and models.

Updated modern analog controls with an improved camera.

Retro Display modes enable players to choose between modern and retro graphics.

The Crocipedia, a digital museum jam-packed with long lost design documents, character designs, pre-release versions of the famous soundtrack, and much more.

The Crocumentary, a series of video interviews of the developers and contributors, sharing their memories of working on the game, and game industry experts discussing its place in gaming history.

Watch a new trailer below.

Physical Editions Announce Trailer

[newwavesailor]

Depeche Mode's drummer...

And no, I'm not talking about Christian Eigner.

So, a little context first?

This is something I imagine will only make sense to a very small amount of people in a very specific niche genre. So, you know Depeche Mode, right? Yeah? Gigantic new wave superstars who basically rule the entirety of @synthpop-confessions? Still popular all these years later?

Well, a long time ago, I was introduced through Facebook a clip called simply "Depeche Mode without music" and it intrigued me, and not for the reasons the video creator probably wanted. It intrigued me because the original clip it was edited from featured... this.

[Image ID: A low-resolution image of a happy toy pink bunny with a red nose and a striped ribbon bowtie plays drums on a brown background and while on a pedestal. The drum kit is red, blue, and green, and features a drum head design of "Depeche Mode" written in curved, multi-colored lettering with spots and a red heart in the middle. /.End ID.]

Yes, that is in fact a toy bunny. One of those battery-operated toy bunnies that you used to see in toy shops anywhere, and nowadays perhaps best known as the main progenitor of the Energizer bunny. But this one was a rare model, at far as I was concerned, as I haven't really seen many of these that were actually sitting down and playing a full drum kit. Plenty of them standing up and playing the snare, but none with a full kit.

Also, I just found it hilarious that Depeche Mode of all bands would utilize a battery-operated toy drumming bunny in place of a real drummer during live performances on television; specifically French television performances, if the information I've gathered has led me to believe.

And you bet your bottom dollar it woke up the furry part of me.

[Image ID: A digital drawing of an anthropomorphic pink bunny with pronounced breasts and hips, blue eyes, eyelashes, a red nose, and a content expression. She is wearing a black tank-top with a D and an M written in white in a rough acrylic style, with a rose in the middle. Her navel is exposed, and she is wearing black pants with red drumsticks sticking out of her right pocket. She is in a reclining position, and has a red, white, and blue striped ribbon around her neck, tied in a bow. The lower left corner says in watermark, "@newwavesailor on Tumblr". /.End ID.]

This isn't even the first furrified (is that a word?) drawing I've done of this obscure part of synth-pop history, but it is certainly better than the last one I did.

Also, don't credit me for the logo on her tank. That was originally created by user adamforeman on fanart.tv, which I consider an excellent resource for high-quality band artwork.

Important update time!: My dearest apologies for not being active as of late. I'm still getting used to adding alt text and image descriptions to my images from here on out, as well as retroactively. I also have a decently-sized slush pile of posts, which mostly amount to visual-oriented content that I have to create image descriptions for. Stay tuned for more!

-Max

[claraameliapond]

PLO Lumbaba: "the reality is we must in the nature of things seek peaceful resolution and mediation of all things. But always aware, that there are those warmongers who belong to the war industry for whom war and conflict is a multi trillion dollar industry and they want war at all costs. They want war periodically so that they can rebuild. These are the same people who after war, are engaged in rebuilding. They have made money their God, and they have made material things their God. Those are there, and they are the ones sometimes who force people into war. But it's not inevitable. War is not inevitable.

War is not desirable, because history has taught us that even after war, you must negotiate. So why must we not negotiate, that there may be no War?

[eregyrn-falls-art]

And here is my main lyric page piece for the "Trouble" Multi-Artist lyric comic!

The line is, "and a long way from home." So obviously, I was going to do a Portal Ford piece for that! As usual, my inspiration for the alien landscape came from Moebius (although my pieces never have the same kind of delicacy of color that his do). I wanted a landscape that would instantly convey "alien", and I felt that the green sky and sea, plus the gas giant planet, were the best way to create that effect. By the time I was coloring mine, a bunch of other pieces for Ford's section had already been done, and I could see a few other echoes of a green color scheme, so I also thought this would create a good visual continuity in his section.

But here, the old and now tattered pic of him and Stan as kids on the original Stan o' War is the symbol of "home". And I also knew, by that time, that the next image to start the next verse, @possumbreath's page, would be a take on that theme, with the photo itself appearing later in @acetyzias's page. I liked the idea of sprinkling references to it throughout Ford's section, since in my mind it's so symbolically important to the resolution of his character arc.

Anyway, as always -- go take a look at the whole lyric comic, if you haven't already! And stay tuned for the video version, coming soon!

[deepdreamnights]

More video tinkering with Vidu 1.5

Vidu hit 1.5 this morning for testing, which I get access to as part of the artist's program. While making raw material for a "Big Professor" project-

(Shown here to establish a 1.0 baseline)

-I nuked most of my credits, I've still got enough to try out the new features and give you all a rundown of them.

First major change is resolution options. Fast, 720, or 1080. Shown here is my first attempt at a 1080 gen, using the same prompt as above. While most vids in this post will be gifs for ease of use, this one is an MP4 to provide full evaluation.

Ignore the odd playback speed, since that's something you'd fix in post. The gif at the start was one of my most stable renderings of Big Professor under v1. Got some minor wonk in the details, little distortion around the prof's claw and the kid in the first half second, but otherwise well above the average of the 1.0 versions I've been working with, especially the clarity on the button text.

The second one is a re-run of the same prompt, minus some detail issues with one shin, the level of consistency is promising.

720 can go up to 8 seconds, 1080 tops off at 4. At present, 1.5 does not have an upscale function. If you're not tinkering to test out prompts I'd generally recommend 1080, even for lower-res projects, for the purposes of being able to crop and/pan.

For most of these, assume I'm using either 720 or 1080 gens.

Multi-Subject Reference-to-Video

THIS is the big winner of the setup. Previously, ref-to-video only could handle a single referenced subject image. The current setup now allows you to reference up to three per generation.

Those can be characters, props, or settings, and it can be used for morphing effects. This is good, because first-frame-last-frame is more finnicky than reference-to-video. The obvious use is to create multi-character scenes, and it works well for that:

But it has other uses. For example, here I used:

And while this one was reversed and trimmed, it displays the potential for using the feature for transformation sequences. The backgrounds are especially helpful, since Vidu's internally-generated toon backgrounds are very modern and digital-painting-looking (the gif of Mrs. Nice turning back and forth into Mrs. Nautilus at the top of the section didn't use a background image reference) and as always, I like it retro.

To that point, using the more comic-booky Mrs. Nice control drawing didn't work near as well as the more period-accurate one:

And while I'll personally be cutting out frames to produce a more accurate 1980s TV animation look, the raw fluidity is bound to appeal to the majority of users, and minor issues like the color of Mrs. Nice's blouse changing mid-transformation are easy enough to fix manually (though if a flaw looks enough like a traditional animation screwup, I might just leave it in)

And another fun feature? Movement amplitude control.

In my last post about it, I said Vidu likes to move, and if you need a more subtle shot, like this one, setting the movement amplitude control to small is your move. (Funny how the robot interpreted the book binding as a mouth.) If something's too static you can up the movement as well, but I haven't had that problem much.

In terms of generation quality, 1.5 is a good but not huge leap up from 1.0. at least in terms of what I've made so far. Aesthetics are very similar, but issues of tearing, distortion, and wonky action are lessened.

And it's way better at understanding triceratops, so thumbs up there.

This is one of my wonk-tests, but man, check that walk cycle. This is why the movement controls are important, sometimes when set to auto a dialog scene becomes a weird chase.

Now, in terms of generation costs (and this can always change), 1.5 seems more expensive but in the end it works out more or less the same.

A 1.0 quality 8-second gen upscaled to max res would be 24 points (16 for the quality 8-seconds, 8 for the upscale), and an 8-second 720 render is also 24 points (as is a 4-second 1080).

Yeah, you don't want to use "Fast" in most cases. While both the 720 and fast versions here both have flaws (Bruce's disappearing popcorn bucket, etc), the 720 res version is substantially more on-model for both characters.

To close out, a bit of fun wonk. To try out the effect, I prompted using a "Specialist Matt Trakker" G.I.Joe/M.A.S.K. crossover figure as a character reference, to see if it could translate a character from toy to live action. And it can-

Though it is very, very literal.

The combination of live action-esq person and accurate G.I.Joe joints is harrowing, but there's potential there for some wild variants on the Toy Story/A Christmas Toy/'Wynona's Big Brown Beaver'-Music-Video-by-Primus concept.

[whattraintracks]

5. Video Games - Multi

What's this? More Raphael angst? Why are we surprised.

So I was listening to Stay Down by boygenius while some prompts simmered in my brain, and when this one started boiling somewhere around verse two, I knew what I had to do.  

Would Raph even like this song? Who knows, but I sure do, so I am going to close-read the heck out of it and draw so many connections.

Video Games >> I'm just steering my life in a video game >> It's a half-life, it's a fallout 

before any of you wonder what this has got to do with the prompt, here it is! it's in the song. prompt satisfied

apparently, those are also references to video games

. . .

moving on

Fighting and Learned Behavior >> lean into the punch >> push me down >> hold me under >> stay down 

a.k.a. physical altercations as an allegory for Raphael’s life 

obsessed with the metaphor of him leaning into a punch

if he can’t avoid life's blows, he'll do what he can to make them hurt less

suffer the hit just to get it over with, or take it for someone else

on a less angsty note, I simply associate Raph with boxing 

he's a skilled ninja, but sometimes he wants to sucker-punch someone

cuz this boy really loves fighting, and that ain’t a bad thing 

>> wasn't a fighter 'til somebody told me I had better learn >> would you teach me I'm the villain

I think a lot about Raph and learned behavior 

when I tell you Rise and '03 Splinter altered my brain chemistry 

hiding their connection to the Foot/Hamato Clan

trying to spare their sons from anger, grief, trauma, vengeance, and wars that don't belong to them is fascinating to me 

but in every version, he teaches Raph how to fight 

and I've talked about how '87 Raphael still inherited those things from Splinter's

even the ones who don’t are still altered by growing up with him, looking at you M&M Raph 

it's not a coincidence '12 Splinter sees so much of himself in his son

Defense Mechanism and Love for Enemies >> lean into the punch so it don't hurt as bad when they leave 

Raph's anger often screams defense mechanism to me

if humans are going to hate him anyway, again he'll lean into it

be snarky and rude and scary and mean and give them something to really hate

sometimes, his anger is preemptive, but it's not always unfounded

I don't think even ten fingers are enough to count how many times a recurring character turned on the '87 turtles

Raphael should have been allowed to beat up Vernon as consolation

>> there you were, turning your cheek 

but wait! there's more! the Christian references in this song are not subtle

Luke 6:27,29 "Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you . . . if anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also"

I'm thinking about '87 Raphael's "Yeah, I'm with ya, but I'm bitter" and helping the guys protect a city that doesn't appreciate all they do

I'm thinking about '03 Raph, who is resolute it's not their problem that the city's at war but gets involved because Leo does 

I'm thinking about '07 Raph taking up the Nightwatcher mantle after Leo leaves New York 

Disconnection in Personal Relationships >> I look at you and you look at a screen 

this second verse, I think, is pretty open to interpretation, which works well given how many variations there are of Raph

linking "screen" to "video game" in the next line, I picture Raph reaching out and being ignored

like '03 Raph figuring his anger out on his own v. Leo getting sent away for serious/professional help

like '07 Raph missing Leo and hearing no word from him for years 

or I read "screen" with the connotation of concealment

like Rise Raph keeping it together for his little brothers until he can't

like their shock when he finally breaks down

the loneliness of Raph looking at his brothers and knowing them so well but feeling like they never really see him  

>> similar acts and a different name 

I am always struck by how similar Raph and his brothers are 

the little things they do the same because they were raised together

the ways they deliberately emulate each other  

it has to sting seeing so much of them in himself and himself in them and still be reduced to "the angry one"

especially when it's them thinking this way

(side note, Google has this lyric miswritten as "similar accent," which is hilarious in this context) 

Loss and Lack of Control >> I'm in the back seat of my body 

canon takes great pleasure in depriving Raph of control over his body 

how intensely all Raphaels experience their emotions 

off-screen and childhood trauma like “Savage Raph” in Rise 

on-screen trauma that must lead to dissociation, flashbacks, nightmares, etc. 

the two, at least that I know of, mind control events with ‘12 and Rise Raph

even ‘87 Raphael getting de-aged

you could also interpret this as gender dysphoria and I've seen a lot of good trans Raph headcanons

>> I'm just steering my life in a video game 

beyond losing control of his body, Raph never really has control of his life 

“turtle luck” and all that 

this often shows up when their stories shift

like ‘87 Raphael, who goes from a wise guy to a sarcastic grouch as his story drags on and takes a darker turn

as opposed to Rise Raph, who throughout the series, gets talked down from heroism and over-vigilance

but guess which behaviors get rewarded and reinforced during the Shredder arcs and Krang invasion

so as not to ignore the prompt any more than I already have, I do enjoy those episodes where “life in a video game” for Raphael is a little more on the nose

Combat Land (1987), Across the Universe (2003), Mazes and Mutants (2012) 

Literally Neurodivergent and a Minor 

(Shoutout to this art from @/20s-turtle-posting that inspired the name of this section) ((and, no, I did not realise this is an ironic meme and will be taking it seriously))

>> aren't I the one constantly repenting for a difficult mind? >> push me down into the water like a sinner, hold me under >> villain >> sinner >> half-life >> fallout 

I warned you about the religious imagery, but it's a little off in this verse

because repentance is about change as growth

but Raph feels like he has to change his "difficult mind" this ingrained part of himself

so he's stuck in a cycle of remorse and regret, unable to gain control

I think about running fast and far and anguished cries of “what is wrong with me?” (2003)

pushed into and held under, the waters of baptism are no longer cleansing and renewing but suppressing

it's the people closest to him saying “you are seriously twisted” (2012) and “you’ve got a rage problem” (M&M)

and having to decide between hiding those parts of himself or hoping they'll love him anyway

it's Raph feeling bad and broken, feeling like he's a danger and a poison to everyone around him

>> lean into the punch so it don't hurt as bad when they leave >> it takes so long for me to settle down and when I finally do, there's no one else around 

and I wonder if Raph's temper is ever tied to feeling unlovable, and one feeling sparks another in a vicious feedback loop 

a teenager testing the boundaries of care and affection, more defense mechanisms

how does he get himself to believe in their steadfast love even when he feels unworthy of it

to trust he's safe enough to feel all of his ugliest emotions when his life is so out of control

he forgets, his story doesn’t let him remember, that he’s still a kid 

he's got a lot of growing to do, and even if it takes a long time, he’ll settle down one day, find his balance 

his family’s gonna stick it out, and they’ll still be around when he finally gets there

tl;dr I will never be able to listen to this song without crying about Raphael now, so thanks, brain. 

[gproduction]

AV Installation Secrets Revealed: Expert Insights and Advice

Whether you're setting up a home theater, upgrading a conference room, or creating an immersive stage experience, AV installations are essential in transforming ordinary spaces into dynamic, impactful environments. In today's tech-driven world, AV Installation Services have become a staple for events, corporate gatherings, and personal spaces alike. However, creating a seamless audio-visual experience involves more than just wiring up speakers and mounting screens. Here, we’ll share expert insights into AV installation secrets that elevate quality, enhance ambiance, and guarantee a hassle-free experience.

1. Planning the Right Setup for Your Space

A successful AV installation starts with a clear understanding of your specific needs and goals. No two spaces are alike, so the initial planning phase should involve evaluating the room layout, dimensions, and acoustics. This is where a professional AV Installation Service can make all the difference by creating a custom setup that maximizes audio and visual quality. Experts can help design an installation plan that works within your budget while enhancing every aspect of the viewing and listening experience.

2. Investing in High-Quality Equipment

The equipment you select is the foundation of any AV installation. From high-resolution projectors and screens to powerful, crisp sound systems, investing in quality components ensures a longer lifespan and better performance. Professional AV Installation Services have access to the latest in AV technology, helping you choose the right gear for your setup. High-definition displays, multi-channel audio systems, and smart control systems are all important elements that bring your vision to life.

3. Understanding Acoustic Treatments and Speaker Placement

Optimal sound distribution is crucial for an immersive experience. AV installation experts know that sound quality is influenced by room acoustics, materials, and furniture. They employ techniques like acoustic panels, bass traps, and strategic speaker placement to eliminate echo and balance sound. With the help of an AV Installation Service, you can avoid common issues like uneven sound and muffled audio, ensuring clear, high-quality sound throughout the room.

4. Hiding the Cables and Wiring

One of the biggest challenges in AV installation is concealing the maze of cables and wires. A messy installation can detract from the space's aesthetics and even cause safety hazards. An expert AV Installation Service will know how to manage and conceal wires effectively, either by routing them through walls, floors, or custom cabinetry. They’ll also label everything clearly, making it easier to troubleshoot or upgrade your system later on.

5. Automating the AV Experience

A well-designed AV system should also offer ease of use. Automated systems allow you to control lighting, sound, and visuals at the touch of a button, creating a seamless experience. Leading AV Installation Services can integrate smart controls like voice activation, mobile app interfaces, and remote controls, allowing you to customize the atmosphere with minimal effort. Imagine dimming the lights, adjusting the sound, or switching screens from your phone, adding that wow factor to any event or space.

6. Testing and Calibration for Optimal Performance

Once the setup is complete, professional AV installers will conduct thorough testing and calibration. This step ensures that all components work together harmoniously, providing an optimized performance for both audio and video. AV Installation Services use specialized equipment to test sound quality, brightness, and display alignment, making any necessary adjustments for the perfect final setup.

7. Ongoing Support and Maintenance

AV systems are complex and, over time, may require software updates, recalibration, or even repairs. The right AV Installation Service provides ongoing support, ensuring that your system remains in top condition. Regular maintenance not only extends the equipment’s lifespan but also keeps your AV experience flawless, even as your needs evolve or technology advances.

8. Expert Advice for DIY AV Enthusiasts

For those looking to try AV installation on their own, there are a few essential tips to keep in mind. First, start small, with easy-to-manage components like a soundbar and projector. Researching the best products and ensuring compatibility among devices is key. Also, remember to position speakers at ear level and place screens to minimize glare. However, for larger spaces and complex requirements, it’s always best to consult a professional AV Installation Service for expert guidance and support.

Conclusion: Why G Productions is Your Top Choice for AV Installation Services

Mastering AV installation is a craft that requires expertise, high-quality equipment, and a deep understanding of spatial dynamics. G Productions has set the benchmark as India’s best event management company, providing premium AV Installation Services tailored to the unique demands of each project. Whether for a corporate event, wedding, or personal entertainment setup, G Productions ensures that every AV installation is performed with precision and dedication. Choose G Productions, and experience a world-class audiovisual setup that transforms any environment into an immersive experience, reinforcing our commitment to excellence in event management company across India.