#IS ANYBODY OUT THERE

[stars4roryy]

hello tumblr i just watched basically im gay for the first time in the big 2025 sometbody hold me oh my god fuck my stupid gay depressed life oim not sobibng wgat

[gin-juice-tonic]

I was sitting here thinking about how many live action kids movies used to exist when I was younger and wondering why I feel like there haven't been any new ones for the younger generation and I thought "well surely this must just be because I am old"

But I was looking and there really just haven't been many in the last few years

[applestorms]

ok actually fuck it i'm talking about this too. so, the ivantill kiss, right? there are a lot of beautiful stylistic choices that make that scene just incredible, but the one thing i'd like to zoom in on in particular for this post relates to the 180 degree rule specifically.

if you're not familiar with filmmaking, essentially-- the 180 degree rule sets up a line that the camera typically is not supposed to cross. the clearest example of this in the case of scenes where you have two characters in a room talking to one another. for the sake of smoother continuity, you generally want to stick to having dude A on the left and dude B on the right, otherwise it feels wonky or gets confusing to follow, both as an audience and as an editor. this is particularly true when you're doing some kind of shot/reverse shot conversation between two characters and need to ensure that it Feels like they're consistently looking at one another in the same direction, even if they aren't actually both visible in the same shot. basically, the 180 degree rule is meant to help keep your left & right from getting mixed up while filming, and to make sure that the physical space both on- and off-screen are clear to the audience.

in round 6, most of the shots we get of ivan & till while they're on the actual performing stage are close-ups, though we do get a couple of establishing shots. early on we have this very quick frame:

which is very quickly followed up by a close up of till's face, and then a medium close up also displaying his name in the background.

the majority of shots that take place in this setting (not flashbacks) stick to similar shot sizes, putting emphasis on till himself rather than the mostly empty background and stage.

ivan is presented very similarly. we begin with a shot of his feet as he walks up to the mic:

and then a couple extreme close ups of his face, both from the side and the front to emphasize his mouth and eyes as he begins singing.

i think it's this side view in particular that really helps set up the space in terms of how ivan is positioned to the left of till, especially since we also see till from the same side earlier. note the similarities:

we also often see them positioned like this in the flashbacks, ivan on the right and till on the left, a good example being when ivan licks the blood of his face like a fucking freak.

later on, we also get this fairly short establishing shot of the stage from the back, again setting up just how empty and vast this place is:

(this one is actually a bit odd since we're viewing them from the back. bit of a teaser, i guess? the importance of this will be made clear shortly.)

POINT IS. in the minutes leading up to the kiss, we have a very clear line established, wherein till is always on the left and ivan always on the right. a couple flashbacks may buck this trend, but this is consistent for all the shots that we see of them on the actual stage.

notably, though, we very rarely ever actually see them in the same frame in this setting-- again, only in flashbacks, or the extreme wide shown above do we actually see them together.

this changes as soon as ivan decides to start walking towards him:

but still, we haven't crossed the line. always, it's till on the left, ivan on the right

UNTIL.

BAM. it switches.

why? so glad you asked, i have a couple theories. it all comes down to two big points: making the scene more jarring + audience perspective.

in terms of the first point... till is clearly caught off guard by this move, so literally jumping the line right at the moment when their lips touch is a great way of showing how ivan has also just crossed a line, emotionally. it is also, again, somewhat off-putting and confusing. even if you don't fully consciously notice the switch, it takes a moment to reorient yourself within the scene and realize what's happening. it's a very subtle move, but it really emphasizes that OH SHIT moment in a fantastic way.

in terms of audience perspective... alien stage is a story about a bunch of 20 somethings (and one 30 year old) singing and then getting murdered on stage. it is performative to its core, not to mention incredibly voyeuristic. on a meta level, as human viewers, we are to some degree put into the same position as the in-universe aliens, watching and delighting and being horrified over the exact same performance as them. in the earlier shots for this video, when we see ivan and till from the front, we are watching the show from the seat of the audience (which is, notably, not especially present/visible in this round, in comparison to some of the previous ones).

by flipping around to the other side, we are also seeing the details of this moment from a much more intimate perspective. note how the light shines behind them in this moment, particularly in conjunction with this next frame:

ivan wants this to be a moment special to the two of them, not something done for the sake of adding to the performance. so he blocks off the spotlight, and angles their faces away from where (presumably) the majority of the audience is. he can only get so much privacy when they're right smack in the middle of this great big empty stage, but he takes what he can get.

this also helps him get a better look at the scores behind them:

and it's perhaps interesting to note that after this, we jump right back over the line-- specifically, right at the moment ivan is shot.

the fact that the choking itself is also prominently displayed with this orientation (till left, ivan right) seems like additional support for the idea that ivan was doing that for the Performance and the audience.

especially since, when he takes his hands away, they're right back in that ivan left/till right orientation, on the more intimate/genuine side of the line.

this all ends off with another interesting perspective switch, one that is so quick you almost don't even get the chance to notice it. as soon as ivan hits the floor, we move from the usual left-side looking in angle from before to one that puts till in the foreground.

a shift from a POV where ivan dominates, to one where till does, only after ivan passes away. this shit is rich, fellas.

[leonardcohenofficial]

literally what did they put in the velvet underground and nico's i'll be your mirror

[hillerska-official]

lockwood is very much giving wanderer above the sea of fog rn like okay:

"Lockwood was standing on a roof crest, staring out toward the west. A gentle wind swept his hair back, set the ends of his coat flapping. His hand rested on his rapier hilt."

Vs.

[courtesan-of-garage]

... 👀 Is anyone here still alive?

Are there any fellow kids who used to play Choices back in 2019?

I've got rid of app like years ago, but recently I'm feeling nostalgic af and I'm considering installing it again, but duh, I think it may break my heart to see how shitty it got over time, please help

[angel-fruitcake]

sigh i got so used to destiel/supernatural trending daily and/or weekly for a min there that i grew complacent. now it's been kinda quiet recently and i miss it. i miss the chaos. quick somebody do or say something crazy

[chaton-rosehttyd]

Would anybody be interested in reading a fanfiction about Merlin sending Arthur letters after Arthur is dead? Old religion magic, Merthur, returning…. I don’t know if this has been done before but I’m having a blast writing it and want to know that if I post it people would want to read it

[jonklerr]

First post idk will post more sdv if I feel like anyone's watching lol for now here's a sketch of a chicken go crazy :p

[ve1vetyoongi]

testing testing one two three

[lunadensmidnightprowl]

family ties fandom are you alive?

[highscal]

.

[fastidious-and-a-mess]

has anyone ever made anything about ‘what if adaine failed that saving throw in the pit and contracted lycanthropy’? because if so i Need it.

[nectaric]

am i shadowbanned wtf

[polarades]

looking at github has me genuinely sick to my stomach I KNOW the line endings are different I have been TRYING to FIX it for DAYS.

[benotafraid111]

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