#also focusing on art mainly as a career thing kind of takes the pressure off oddly enough lol

[prettycoolducks]

Realizing that when my life is fun and I have friends and talk to people and go outside I don't draw very much at all and it's not really a bad thing

[papaerloy]

SBI ACTOR AU BRAINROT LETS GO.

This is just a list of stuff I´ve written down for an SBI/DSMP actor AU that´s been living in my mind rent free. I´m currently working on a oneshot for this AU so stay tuned!

list is under the cut because it´s LONG and I want to be polite to your feed.

SBI FAMILY WITH TECHBUR TWINS AND TOMMY ALL BEING PHIL AND KRISTIN’S BIOLOGICAL KIDS THANK YOU.

They’re all actors, or just big personalities in general-

Kristin is a little more lowkey, she’s had acting roles before, but she’s more like the backbone of the family that keeps everyone together, since life can be hectic when everyone’s eyes are on you.

Phil has his own TV show where he’s a winged adventurer who travels around a huge fantasy world, explores the massive structures and interacts with the deity’s and creatures inhabiting it! (Biggest moment in the series was totally The Battle For Endlantis)

Wilbur has been acting since he was a child, starring in a series called “Soot House” for most of his early to late teen years, before the series ended. (Disney child star Wilbur GSKFJSJHSHDEHSH)

Wilbur also absolutely still made his ARG.

Despite taking roles here and there, Wilbur quickly moved on to direct and act for his own series and movies, like a small series called “Earths Empires” that sadly didn’t last long, but he got to star his family and friends in it, so it was fun nonetheless!

Wilbur also loves music and later on goes to start Lovejoy with his friends, which he then focuses more on than acting, but still manages to juggle both careers. (I mean really? This man only doing only one thing? As if.)

Techno is a good actor, but he is even better at martial arts and has a nag for competition. Which is why he’s part of a competitive series called “Hypixel” which is a really random wacky series, that puts the actors in situations where they need to complete challenges and Techno is of course a beloved contestant because TECHNOBLADE NEVER DIES!

Technoblade is obviously not his real name, but the alias he uses in Hypixel. Yet everyone just calls him that now because he is very iconic with his long pink hair, golden crown and the pig mask he wears with his very royal looking dress style.

Since Hypixel lets the actors pick their own brand and looks, Techno honestly doesn’t change much from when he’s on screen compared to when he’s off screen.

Techno actually dislikes the attention outside of work and tends to wear different kinds of face masks with cool designs on them. (One specifically loved by the public is a light pink face mask with golden embroidered tusks on the sides, based off his Hypixel brand.)

Tommy was firmly kept out of the spotlight as much as Phil and Kirstin could manage. All of his childhood and also his early teen years, he never had any acting roles apart from like school plays and normal kid stuff...

It’s all due to Phil and Kristin realizing letting Wilbur be a child actor/star was a big mistake that they didn’t want to repeat. (The pressure was too great and it kinda fucked Wilbur over due to the harsh nature of the acting world.)

Tommy has always been interested in the acting world though, he wanted to be cool like his big brothers but had to wait... So instead he made his own little films together with his friend Toby! (Better know as Tubbo because that’s just what everyone calls him) Who just so happened to be in the same boat as him, regarding the whole “my family does acting but I’m too young and not allowed” thing.

The two of them just made silly little comedy skits, but they’d get a decent viewing on Youtube and were quite enjoyable.

( Tubbo is related to Schlatt, who is a well known actor as well. Just like Phil and Kristin, he didn’t want Tubbo to be exposed to the actor world too early. Mainly due to he himself going down a pretty harsh path, because of diving straight into it at an early age. He is better now and a really good dad! )

Tommy did eventually start appearing occasionally on Hypixel because Techno was on there.

Later on Tommy got his first role in an actual series, it was “Earths Empires” that was directed by Wilbur, mainly because Phil and Kristin thought it to be a good and safe place to start.

Tommy’s very first BIG role was when him and Tubbo were cast for a new series called “The Dreamer” (or something).

Tommy got to play a young and chaotic teen called “Tommy” (the writers liked his name, thought it fit the character well). While Toby’s character was named “Tubbo” (the writers found his nickname really endearing), who was gonna be Tommy’s best friend and partner in crime.

When being cast for “The Dreamer” Tommy once again got to meet the actor called Clay, who he had met in the past due to Clay having been starred alongside Techno a few times. This time, he was the person that was gonna play the character Dream in the series.

Clay was a man who seemed to be constantly increasing in fame due to starring in a series of films called “Manhunt”. Where he was a clever and agile man, who had to survive while being on the run from hunters who wanted to kill him. The number of hunters seemingly increasing every movie.

Funny enough the actors who played the hunters from the first “Manhunt” movies, George and Nick, also starred in the new series, but this time they would be Dream’s friends called George and Sapnap, Which was more close to their actual real life relationships as well.

The Disk Saga was a huge success and the series very quickly grew in popularity! Tommy was very happy to be one of the main characters alongside Tubbo.

Tommy’s own fame started to grow more rapidly after that, becoming a very beloved character and actor very quickly.

Of course the family was very proud of Tommy, but Phil and Kristin were still a little cautious, trying not to overbook his schedule and still let him be a kid outside of all this.

Wilbur was of course cast for the new L’manberg independence arc and OH MY GOD THE FANS WENT WILD.

Tommy and Wilbur’s brotherly bond shone through a LOT in their acting and the writers even changed the script slightly to make them more pseudo brothers, since their characters weren’t canonly blood related.

Wilbur was also a co-writer, along side playing the character that was dubbed after him “Wilbur”.

Wilbur´s character made Tommy super uncomfortable during the pogtopia arc and it made their life outside of work a little more complicated.

Techno gets cast into the series during the pogtopia arc as well and Tommy and Wilbur are both super excited to work with Techno on set.

Techno gets to keep his name as well because at this point the writers have let most of the cast keep their real names, so why not keep it going?

At the end of the L´manberg independence arc Phil joins (out of all the actors, only Wilbur knew he was joining the series.) and kills Wilbur as the second season ends with L´manburg in shambles and the fans projectile crying about it.

That is all I have for now! 

Also feel free to ask questions or like do anything you’d like with this stuff!

[not-xpr-art]

Art Advice #6 - Ways to combat social media fatigue as a creative person

Hi guys!

This week’s topic is something I think any artist who’s predominantly active on social media will relate to; that feeling of utter helplessness at trying to live up to social media algorithms, which can really impact your mental and physical health...  

I want to just offer some advice on how to feel less burnt out from art social media (advice I need to take myself sometimes)...

Ways to combat social media fatigue as a creative person (& how you can make social media overall a better place to be).

As I’ve already said, social media can take a big toll on your mental and physical health, particularly if you’re relying on it for your career (as a lot of artists and other creatives do). 

This blog post aims to offer some small pieces of advice to help make your life a little easier when navigating the world of art social media!

1) Algorithms are built to destroy creativity.

I think we’ve all had that phase where we try and keep up with the fast paced algorithms of social media that demand we produce new content day after day, as well as constantly interacting with other people’s posts and spending a minimum amount of time on the app. And all of this leads to feeling fed up and tired when you’re using that particular social media. 

For me, Instagram used to be such a wonderful place for sharing art. I met many amazing fellow artists, and the community that was formed their was genuinely lovely. Unfortunately, everything changed when the fire nation (Facebook) bought out the company & the whole site became so less friendly to smaller creatives. 

I’ve heard a similar story from a lot of artists, who find Instagram’s focus on excessive posting and engagement, which mainly rewards big influencers or celebrities and not smaller accounts of creative people, incredibly disheartening. The algorithms don’t allow artists to naturally explore their creativity, and it leads to more and more artists getting just completely creatively burnt out.

Of course, this all sounds really pessimistic, but it doesn’t have to be. For me, places like Tumblr and the newly created Artfolapp, which (although not perfect) offer a great alternative to the algorithm heavy apps like Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. As with all socials, there’s a huge element of luck that comes with posting art (timezones, audience, etc can all play major parts in how well your art does), but I always find places where posting doesn’t feel like a chore are a lot more enjoyable.

Alternatively, as simple as it sounds I think a great way to start approaching all social media is to not focus on numbers. Instagram actually recently gave the option of being able to hide likes on others and your own posts, which I actually think is a great idea! Once you become less focused on numbers I think you can breathe a little easier!

2) Numbers =/= Your worth as a creative person.

Following on from my last point, it can often feel like if you’re posts aren’t getting as much attention as you used to then there’s something wrong with the work your doing. 

Of course, this isn’t true at all, and most of us know this. Unfortunately if your posts are a part of your work, and the engagement they have is directly linked to how successful in your job you are (and how much money you make that week), then numbers are a lot harder to ignore. 

My biggest piece of advice for this is to visualise the numbers as what they are; people actually interacting with your work! So even if it’s only 1 person, that’s still 1 entire person who enjoyed what you posted! 

3) Luck be a b*tch, honestly ...

As previously mentioned, there is a lot of luck that comes with being successful on social media. Luck of posting in the right place at the right time, having one person with a bigger platform share your art, etc. 

So there isn’t a lot of advice I can give in this section. One thing I’d recommend is involving yourself in a particular community or fandom. Even if you don’t do fancontent, finding a community where you can meet like-minded people and support each other’s work is a really useful thing!! 

For fancontent (like fan art, edits, cosplay, covers, etc) you can just check out the tags of those fandoms! Even if it’s a small fandom, there is usually some content that already exists for it. Often by following a range of people in the various fandoms you enjoy can also lead to fun opportunities, like fan-zines or collaborations! 

For non-fancontent it can feel like it’s a lot harder to find people to relate to. One thing I’d recommend is to find independent magazines online which specialise in sharing creative works! This can offer great chances to get your work featured, as well as meeting some fellow creatives!

Basically, curating your social media experience to feature people that inspire you & support you not only makes for a more enjoyable time being on social media, but it also means there’s more potential your work will be seen!

4) Passion Pays.

Audiences often know when you’re producing something because you feel like you have to (perhaps it’s fancontent for something you gained a lot of followers from, or a particular style that you’ve done for a long time) rather than from genuine passion, and that can be to your detriment.

My advice is to do what you’re actually passionate about, even if that means that some people may not be as interested. For example, I gained a significant portion of my followers on other social medias from posting Kpop fanart. And although I still do this occasionally, I only ever really do it when it’s something I really want to draw. Even though I know I could churn out a lot of Kpop content that those people who followed me for it would really like, I also like drawing other things & going out of my comfort zone in art. 

And I know that the people who still follow and support me now understand this, and often appreciate that I draw things I’m unabashedly passionate about! It has also made me a lot happier overall with my own work, since I feel like I’m constantly pushing myself to do new and interesting things for me, and not to fulfil the interests of others! 

This can also include a complete turn around of the kinds of things you create, by the way! If you’ve been a 2D artist for ages, but suddenly develop a passion for 3D sculpture, then go for it! Those who are still interested in your work will stick around. As well as this, you’ll grow an entirely new audience with the new creative outlet you start sharing! It’s honestly a win-win situation, and don’t let the fear of people not accepting the change hold you back!

5) TAKE BREAKS!

Possibly the most important piece of advice in this post is to remember to take a break from social media! Even if it’s something you rely on for your job, and the algorithms demand you spend time on them, try to take periods of time during your day to switch off from it. 

Another thing I would also suggest is taking breaks from posting things. I did this in January because I wanted a break from forcing myself to live up to the hell of a posting schedule. I still did art, but without the pressure of having to post things I was able to take time and have a little more fun with it! 

A final thing in this part that I’d suggest is taking breaks from doing creative stuff occasionally. If you’re anything like me, you probably spend nearly every day doing or at least thinking about creative things. And that can become very tiring! Whether it’s taking a week, a few days, or entire months, remember that your creativity and skill aren’t just going to disappear if you take a break from it for a bit! 

I think creative people tell themselves that if they don’t keep posting, then people are going to stop supporting their work. But in my experience, people stick around even if you haven’t posted something in years! Because if someone enjoys your work, then they’re going to stick around regardless! 

TL/DR

Basically to sum up, social media can be hell to navigate with it’s obsessive algorithms and posting schedules. But if you allow yourself to adapt to other sites/apps that don’t rely on those things, don’t fixate on numbers, curate your experience to both be inspiring and supportive, let your passion shine through, and remember to take breaks, then social media can become a lot more enjoyable! 

I hope this post was somewhat helpful to anyone who struggles with this... I have to admit that I often don’t take my own advice in regard to social media, but I thought me posting this could help both of us out lol!

Check out my other Art Advice posts here if you’re interested!

[rottenwoodandwiltedsunflowers]

Milestones I Cherish

I am 37 years old. I have a 2-year-old daughter. I have a bachelor's degree in Public Justice. I work a blue collar job. I have been in my job for over 11 years now. I have a cat and a rabbit. I love my cat just as much (maybe more) than my daughter. I am married. My wife is the actual best (she is super talented). I identify as Transgender but also nonbinary. I love theater. NYC is my favorite place on earth. I would never want to live in NYC. 

My work life is a mess right now. There are big changes coming to my workplace and it is creating a lot of stress and uncertainty. I’m lucky because I work for a company that is growing and has never engaged in layoffs even when closing departments. I have job security and a union to ensure it. It has still created lots of turmoil and anxiety for me this year. I recently turned 37 and I feel like I am getting older. Chronic pain that I have had since high school is starting to really flare up more often. I have a daughter who makes me think a lot more about the future and what it holds. I’m middle-aged.

Despite all of the things that are seem wrong in my life, I actually am lucky, happy, and stable. The doubts about my career choices and my massive debt from a degree I am not using are outweighed by my job stability while headed into an increasingly uncertain global economy. I met my wife and so many friends I cherish at college. I was able to escape a small town and figure out who I was. The recent rise in popularity of the term non-binary has given me a more accurate term to label myself in a world that loves labels. I have a wonderful family and I am able to pursue the things I love...mainly theater. 

So, what the hell is this post doing under the Sleep No More tag? Well, my increasing aches and pains, coupled with turning 37 and having a 2-year-old have really made me think a lot about mortality and aging. It is easy to get stuck in the negatives but I am so often reminded of the positives. Those milestones: family, living authentically, job security, financial stability, ability to pursue the theater I love.

Sleep No More is undoubtedly my most loved piece of theater. Kae says I am a different person when I am at the McKittrick Hotel but I think, perhaps, I am a more authentic person. It is a comfortable place full of other people just as weird as I am. It felt safe and anonymous when I started going, letting me explore at my own pace. It was a welcome respite from my social anxiety. You don’t have to be male or female, you just have to be a polite audience member. There is no pressure to make small talk and chance coming off as an antisocial weirdo. There is no goals or prizes to be won. It is just a beautiful theater full of talented people.

Space evolves the more you go. It starts to lose some of the mystery at certain points. You learn the layout of the building eventually and there is no more magic about how you suddenly got from one room to another. You, one by one accumulate more experiences including 1:1′s. There is no longer mystery about what is behind that door. You learn your favorite characters loops and unlock their basic stories and motivations. The story of Sleep No More goes from random scenes to a fuzzy picture of events to a fully focused and elaborate story. You start to unlock the theatrical tricks and notice lighting or sound designs. You find it fun to look at things like audience flow and how loops are designed to create or avoid congestion in areas. You can no longer see the show with fresh eyes but that doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy every second in the building. Now it is fun to see others see it for the first time with fresh eyes. 

Now I enjoy small talk with some of the staff and cast. The building is chalked full of good people. They are talented and kind and usually more than willing to spare a few moments to talk. I try to be aware of their time and not monopolize it but it’s great to be able to tell a performer that you really appreciated a performance. The staff is lovely and patient beyond words. The kinds of things that they put up with on a daily basis are sometimes ridiculous but they keep the show running smoothly and professionally. They don’t get nearly enough praise for what they do day in and out.

Some of the things I am most thankful for and that make it easiest to be my most authentic self are the friends I have met in that building. The Manderley is a lot like any other bar. There are regulars and eventually, those regulars start to become friendly with each other. Some of the people that I consider dear friends are people I met after chatting in the Manderley or braving the cold line outside the building together for an hour. Like many people, we created this blog anonymously. We signed our early posts “W” and “K”. We didn’t post pictures or ever link to our other social media accounts. Eventually, we stopped because this world of the McKittrick became a real part of our lives. Our friends here became friends there.

The second year after we got into the show, for my birthday, Kae surprised me with a bunch of amazing Sleep No More art. She contacted lots of other fans that had been active on Tumblr and asked if she could commission artwork. Not only did many of these people we barely knew (and many of whom we had never met) make amazing pieces for me but they all refused to take payment for it. I met most of them for the first time at Inferno 2.0 and most of them are people I now call friends. The fandom is full of amazing and kind people. Years later, many people knew we were thinking about having a baby. It is a bit of a process if you don’t have the biological means and we discovered my wife was pregnant in November. We mad the decision to not really tell a lot of people until February but some of the first people we did tell were friends we met through the show because we attended the New Year’s party at the hotel and she wasn’t drinking. We could have probably played it off as being between treatments but it was exciting news and we shared it.

So many milestones are littered nowadays with thoughts of the McKittrick Hotel. It has opened us up to other amazing immersive theater. I recently celebrated a SNM milestone. The last show I did when we were in New York for Halloween was my 100th show at Sleep No More. It was an amazing show. It was a Friday Late show and it was VERY undersold. Like 130 audience members. It was nice to have a show that was easy to navigate. One of the cast members slipped me this piece of paper.

It was a great show for so many reasons. Today I return to the hotel for my 101 show. It also happens to be the 5 year anniversary of the first time I set foot in the building. A year full of milestones.

I didn’t think I would like the show the first time Kae dragged me to it but by the time it ended I was hooked. I went back to our hotel and immediately bought tickets to a show the next night. An immediate obsession that I didn’t think would last 5 years. I am not sure anyone 5 years ago would have guessed that this show would still be running today. I am forever grateful for the time I have been given with this show. I hope I will get to write another post 5 years from now celebrating 10 years at the hotel. If there is one thing I know, however, it’s that I should cherish every visit. We never saw the Drowned Man but it has taught me to be thankful for what I have. Everything eventually dies. Mortality isn’t limited to humans. At some point, the McKittrick Hotel will cease to exist as a place on 27th Street in Chelsea. Like the Drowned Man, it will be relegated to our memories and dreams. I don’t know if it’s better to lose something you love after a short time when it’s still newer and a bit more exciting like the Drowned Man or to lose something that has been a staple of your life but has evolved into something more permanent and comforting like Sleep No More. The loss hurts in different ways I’m sure. 

Even if it continues to run for decades to come, at some point I will become too old to enjoy it in the same way. Having a 2-year-old has taught me that you are only as old as you feel and I am feeling older than I was 5 years ago. 11 years of physical work in my day job is taking a toll on my joints and eventually I will be less able and willing to climb 5 flights of stairs after the nurse. During the Agnes 1:1, I often times find myself thinking about a day I won’t be able to return to Manderley.

Mortality and milestones. For now, I will go and enjoy celebrating 5 years in this magical building. I will do things that my hip will resent tomorrow and cherish what I have at the moment. I will continue to seize opportunities that are given to me in the hotel and enjoy the company of the wonderful people who inhabit it. I will dance with witches, chat with bartenders, tip the coat check, and create memories that will live on after the hotel is no longer in my reach. 

Here’s to 5 years of life with the McKittrick and here’s to 5 more hopefully!

Waffle

[frederator-studios]

Bryan Caselli: The Frederator Interview

Bryan Caselli is a Storyboard Artist, Writer and Renaissance Faire enthusiast. Following tenure on top-notch cartoons including Star vs. the Forces of Evil and Sanjay and Craig, ‘twas our good fortune when he set sail to Costume Quest as co-Executive Producer, with a treasure trove of story skillz in tow. Here, Bryan provides his advice to young artists, fav things about Costume Quest, and remarkably realistic take on a 17th century Swashbuckler and his Mer-Lassy.

When did you know that you wanted a career in animation?

My friends and family were alway super supportive of my drawing when I was little, but I got really focused on art in high school. I had an amazing teacher named Kevin McGovern who encouraged me to apply to the California State Summer School for the Arts. CSSSA was a four week residency arts summer program on CalArts’ campus featuring many different disciplines. I studied in the animation department, and it was like I finally found my people. After those four weeks, I knew I wanted to work in animation, and I wanted to go to school at CalArts. There was no turning back.

(Every day is Halloween for the CQ crew! But this day was actually Halloween.)

Where are you from, and how did you chart your path to CalArts?

I'm originally from Sacramento, California. It's a legitimately sized city, but it still has a small town vibe that's warm and welcoming. I applied to CalArts straight out of high school, but didn't get in on my first try. I actually didn't apply to any other schools. My plan was to just apply again the next year, but my mom secretly applied for me to CSU Sacramento as a somewhat, "What if he doesn't get into CalArts for ten years?" worst case scenario backup plan. After swallowing the tough pill of not getting into my dream school, I took a collection of figure drawing, portrait drawing, painting, and art history classes at both Sac State and Sac City college. I didn't stay long enough to earn a degree. Luckily, I was accepted into CalArts the following year.

How did you decide you wanted to storyboard and write?

I got into animation thinking I wanted to be a character designer. It seemed to be the most glamorous position at the time, but I found out quickly that you have to be an exceptional draftsman to do that job, which I'm not. I fell in love with the story department in my 3rd and 4th years at CalArts. I had some awesome teachers who really set me on the path that I'm on now.

What do you love most about the job?

I can't get enough of stuff like mythic structure, archetypal symbolism, and fable storytelling. I really get excited by just how universal storytelling is. It can connect you with anyone. That's easily my favorite part of my work.

What was your first job in animation or art, and how’d you land it?

I interned on Regular Show. I actually went in to interview for a different show, but on my way out, I ran into Ben Adams, the Regular Show character designer and my former classmate. He told me to blow those other guys off and come work with him. He introduced me to Regular Show's Producer, Janet Dimon, and we really hit it off. She offered me the position soon after that. At the end of my internship, I pitched the storyboards for my student film, Scout Wars. After the pitch, someone from development came up to me and said, "You need to pitch this upstairs." That's how I got my second gig.

The show was never produced, but getting paid to develop my original concept that early in my career really set in stone my desire to run a show of my own some day. I even got to work with our future Costume Quest Art Director, Ricky Cometa, on the development poster.  After that, I did about a year and a half of full-time freelance, which eventually lead me to work with the creators of Sanjay and Craig on some of their punk side projects. I really liked working with those guys, so when they asked me to come on Sanjay, it was an easy choice.

That’s awesome. Was Sanjay the first show you wrote and boarded for? How is it to work on a board driven show?

Yep, Sanjay was the first TV show that I got to write and storyboard on. Both writing and storyboarding is really demanding, but it's also really rewarding. Nick Bachman (Costume Quest's previously interviewed Supervising Producer) was my Storyboard Director on Sanjay, and we really clicked as a team. Sanjay and Craig was a perfect show to be board driven because it was super cartoony and there were very few rules. It was a great opportunity for board teams to have their specific voices heard. When you watch an episode of Sanjay and Craig you can pretty much spot which teams did which episodes from a mile away.

How was writing on Star vs the Forces of Evil - is it board driven too?

Writing on Star was an awesome change of pace coming off of Sanjay. Daron Nefcy was a great leader to work for, and I became really close with my fellow writers. It was board driven, which made the transition from storyboarding to outline writing a lot more of a doable task for me. I was comfortable in that kind of production pipeline and pretty much knew what would be expected of me as a writer. The coolest part about working on Star was that it was a seasonally arcing, somewhat mythic story. It was so cool to get to craft a large story over multiple episodes. I took a lot of lessons learned writing on Star and brought them with me to the writers' room on Costume Quest.

Is it odd being a bit of a ~star~ yourself, considering you have a whole fan page and everything?!

Oh boy, having a fan wiki page is a strange feeling. It's really cool to be apart of a show that has such a passionate fanbase, but honestly I don't want to be a star. Star Butterfly is the star of Star.  

You’re Costume Quest’s co-Executive Producer. What does the job entail? 

Being the co-EP on Costume Quest means I, along with the rest of our leadership team, am responsible to supervise just about every stage of production. From writing to storyboarding, animatics to art, voice acting and voice casting, logo design, score, sound effects, the list goes on and on. I got to script a handful of episodes. Nick and I storyboarded the first episode. Occasionally I do some (very rough) first pass character designs. I also draw story board punch-ups and animation redline revisions on the episodes I direct. I direct the first story of each of Costume Quest's two part episodes, and Nick directs the second story. Beyond that I mainly keep my eye on the larger narrative of the show, making sure everything is tonally consistent and the story threads line up. If every person that works on this show is making one tree, I try to make sure the forest is working as a whole. I do my best not to force any artist to execute their assignments exactly as I would have, but instead, encourage them to showcase their personal artistic voices.

How have you enjoyed working on Costume Quest, and what do you like most about the show?

Working on Costume Quest has been my favorite gig yet. I am really grateful to Will (McRobb), Kevin (Kolde), and Eric (Homan) for bringing me onboard. I'm super proud of how much the show grows across the first season. The scale, the emotional stakes, and the world building just get bigger and bigger with every episode. Beyond that, having the chance to lead a team has been incredibly rewarding. Our whole crew is so talented, and they are all so supportive of the show. It has really meant a lot to me to learn that these people, who I respect tremendously, are happy to come in to work every day and are proud to help tell this story. I can't overstate how good it feels to know I have a creatively and professionally satisfied crew.

Do you have a favorite character on CQ?

I love all four of the main kids, but my favorite character really is Norm. I always say that he's a cross between Fred Flintstone and Santa Clause. He's such an emotionally vulnerable character, and he's got some great reveals attached to his backstory. Fred Tatasciore also does some incredible voice acting as Norm, so if this show only gets one award ever, it should go to Fred's performance.

Since developing Scout Wars, have you gone out pitching other original ideas?

I’ve pitched Scout Wars and a handful of other show ideas around to the big studios, but when Costume Quest came about, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to learn everything I needed to about the responsibilities of a show runner—without the added emotional pressure of having the show be about my childhood, or my relationship with my father, or whatever. I have a handful of ideas in my back pocket that I'm eager to start pitching again whenever Costume Quest comes to a close.

What are your favorite cartoons?

Not including the shows I've worked on: original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman the Animated Series, Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, Doug, Hey Arnold!, SpongeBob, Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, Archer, Flintstones, the Peanuts specials, and the original Power Rangers gets a non-cartoon honorable mention because the the influence that show had on me and Costume Quest is pretty undeniable.

What is your advice to people who want to write and/or storyboard for animation? 

Study the craft as hard as you can. It's not about networking, or Internet likes, or whatever. If you get as good as you possibly can at the craft, you'll be golden. Take any job that will hire you. Once you get any position anywhere, if you show everyone you work with just how dedicated you are, people will take notice, and they'll want to help you.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I really love hosting backyard BBQ's and parties at my place. My friends tease me that I'd rather they come to me than I go anywhere else pretty much 100% of the time. You can find me most Sunday mornings at any of the LA flea markets with my girlfriend, Madison, looking for more knick knacks to put up in our place. Also, I take my Renaissance Faire costuming pretty seriously. Yearly upgrades are planned months in advance. My mom always sewed my Halloween costumes growing up, so costumes somehow became a thing I really like to do. I guess it's fitting that Costume Quest came my way.

Have anything to say to future fans of Costume Quest?

Watch it again! We did our best to set up, pay off, and foreshadow as much as possible in the season so it would be fun to rewatch. There are a lot of little easter eggs in there. I hope fans enjoy it. ☆

No doubt, they will. Thank you for the interview Bryan, and for your fantastic work on Costume Quest!  Follow Bryan on Instagram.

- Cooper ☆

[coolmusicstuff]

(PERSONA): who the hell am I?

I could explain to you who BTS is, but you probably already have heard of them because they show up literally everywhere. They are a 7 member Korean boyband who have proven time and time again that they are a force to be reckoned with. I have to admit, I am not an avid K-pop listener but I am a HUGE fan of BTS’s music and artistic style. They offer so much versatility as group which you can see in their most recent full-length album, “Map of the Soul: 7″

This album comprises of the second and last installment of the Map of the Soul series from BTS. The title of the album, “Map of the Soul: 7″ showcases the the number seven as their are 7 members in which they have entered their seventh year of being BTS. In their interview with Variety, they talk about the essence of the album and how came to be. 

 Their previous EP, Map of the Soul: Persona, primarily served as a teaser to the complete studio album and explored the central theme of their identity both as a band and individually. There are a total of 20 tracks that consists of a mixture of solo, units, and group songs that explore several different elements of music. From old school hip-hop to marching band/drum line inspired music, BTS showcases a plethora of styles in order to tell their stories as authentically as possible. The stories behind the lyrics left me speechless and the complementary music videos tell a tale of their own. I want to highlight a couple of songs that left an impression on me when I was analyzing the lyrics and the song itself. Check out the lyrical translation of the whole album here!

***I also want to add that visual interpretation through MVs is a BIG part of BTS’s message so be sure to check out the ones I linked below!

What is interesting about BTS’s albums is that they always have an Intro song, an Interlude song, and an Outro song that serve as different moments in each individual’s personal story. This album featured aspects of human psychology such as persona, shadow, and ego that delve into the mindsets of each individual member, in this case, the rappers of the group.

This album’s Intro song, Intro: Persona, was a rap song performed by one member, RM, in which he describes the “persona” he lives with as he became a part of the biggest boy band in the world. This song is backed by a powerful guitar chord along with elements of trap and hip-hop to give the song its edgy sound. He raps about how society’s attention towards him led him to create a “mask” that serves as his identity, but he still doesn’t really know who he is and continues to search for his soul. 

I think many young people can relate to this, I know I can, even as I write this post I can tell people will have some type of judgement towards my music taste, my appearance, the way I walk, etc. so I hide it.. I hide behind something that I created because judgement is scary while your still forming yourself. Before you know it, you become something that you aren’t and search for that sense of identity. 

Check out the visual MV below:

The next song I want to highlight is called, “Interlude: Shadow”, by member and producer, SUGA. This song is PACKED with meaning from the beat changes to the lyrics themselves. The song mainly talks about the pressure, anxiety, and excitement that comes with being a global star such as BTS. The song’s main line “Please don’t let me shine, don’t let me down” exemplifies the double-edged sword that comes with the job of being at the top as a head minority figure in pop culture.

 I think this song is his “hot-take” on his own career and feelings which feels very natural but also surprising because I never thought that stardom could make you feel different types of emotions. I could feel the weight in his lyrics and tone because it sounded like he was begging out of desperation when he sings the chorus. The song has a darker vibe to it when the beat changes in the latter half the song that is supposed to show the sides of SUGA as well as his alter ego, AGUST D (Cue music: “I’m slim shady the real slim shady”). You can check out his mixtape here! 

Also, check out the amazing MV for Interlude: Shadow as it depicts amazing visuals behind his story:  

Lastly, I want to highlight my favorite group song called “Black Swan” that is performed by all of the members and explains the “two lives” of artists in which they die their “first death” when they lose their passion in their craft. They confess about their ultimate fear of losing passion of writing and performing music as artists and the pain that comes with letting it go. I really feel this song’s story on a personal level because I think fans also fear the same thing when letting go of their favorite artists. Music is such a large part of my life and identity that it is hard to think about it leaving in a sense. 

 What is special about this song is that it featured a pre-release Art film that shows a modern style interpretive dance with an orchestral version of the song that adds to the overall meaning of the track visually. Check it out to see how you interpret it! 

Although I loved the entire album’s concept, the one song that surprisingly put me off was the title track, “ON”. When I first heard it I had to kind of decipher what kind of sound they were going for because it did not seem like THE title track for BTS. Usually, the title track is representative of the whole album but this song has something about it that doesn’t click for me. I think it is overdone, whether through the music video, marketing, or the song itself. 

It could have been a lot better if they purely focused on the sound production instead of the visuals because the song has so much potential but it feels like they incorporated dance music for the sake of performance. I’m not too sure where this song was going but the music video looked straight out of Noah’s Arc so I’m guessing a mix of biblical and marching band-ish vibes but again, it was confusing. I only listened to this song in the beginning and it really lowered my expectations for the whole album, but thankfully the album didn’t disappoint! Although the song is eh, the MV is fire:

Although I only featured four songs from the whole album, each song has a story to tell so I would give them all a listen. Personally, this album helped me get to know each of the member’s story, sound, and lyrical style in a deeper way than ever before. 

With such a diverse album, it really is difficult to pinpoint BTS’s official sound because it honestly doesn’t seem like they have one! I think this can be a great thing because they can continue to develop their music in multiple directions. However, it surprises me that they keep evolving because the concept of BTS is such a highly regarded entity that it can put pressure on making a certain type of sound that does well, otherwise known in K-pop as “idol music” or pop music in general terms. 

I think this album does its job in asking the questions: “Who am I?” and “What is my story?” BTS looked to tell their personal stories and hoped that their fans would be able to relate on some level. Targeted towards the younger generation, these songs make listeners go through tons of emotions which honestly depicts the ups and downs of life. Even though its a lot, I love it. It made me feel like I wasn’t alone when I asked that one question to myself: Who the hell am I? So thanks BTS, for making an album that makes me question my existence...in a good way. :)

[antivantulip]

ME:A Countdown Ryder Meme

Days 30-18

ORIGINAL POST

So I'm late to this meme but I really wanted to do it to help me flesh out my Ryder!! :3c Under the cut because I'm behind a few days oops~

30 Days: Will you play SisRyder or BroRyder first? Why? How does your Ryder define their gender?

SisRyder! Just because I have more ideas for her background & personality. Also I'm just coming out of playing the Witcher 3 and to be honest, I'm quite tired of playing a guy for over 150 hours so there's that. However I'll most likely end up doing a Bro!Ryder playthrough as well after. I usually start out with a female OC because they’re easier for me to identify with and roleplay as. For those reasons her pronouns will be she/her (unless I change my mind later haha).

29 Days: What is your Ryder’s name? Why did you pick this name - is there a meaning or origin story behind it? Do they go by any nicknames? What would you name their sibling, father and mother if you were able to choose?

My Ryder goes by her nickname 'Midnight' in-game but her real name is 'Medina'. It's a codename she received during her sniper training for the Pathfinder program. Her combat style very much incorporates stealth tactics and her teammates claimed that she 'could perfectly hit a target in pitch darkness from miles away'. One day her brother started calling her that too, and it just sort of stuck. Their father is the only one who calls her by her real name. If I could name her bro, I'd probably go with Kalem. I'm fine with their dad's name.

28 Days: Are you going to use the default appearance or create a custom Ryder? If custom, describe your Ryder’s physical appearance (hair color, eye color, skin color, height, weight, facial features, any scars or tattoos, racial origin, etc). If you have art and/or a face-claim, feel free to add them here

A custom Ryder for sure!!! Midnight naturally has shoulder- length black hair that she dyes dark blue (haven't decided if she dyes all of it or just the tips yet BUT YKNOW). She only originally did it because her bro always teased her that she never did anything fun/unique with her appearance (she doesn't have tattoos, piercings, wears little make-up, no jewelry) but ended up liking it in the end and decided to keep that look. Since I love projecting onto my OCs, she and her brother will be mixed - half white, half central-asian. Don't have a face/body claim yet but she's quite short (5'3) and not overly muscular (seeing as she was mostly preparing to be a scientist, not a marine). Her brother is the one who has a lot of tattoos, an ear piercing, and is quite stocky since he did a lot of physical training to be a soldier.

27 Days: Are you going to use the default appearance for Ryder’s sibling or customize them? Describe your ideas for their sibling’s and father’s physical appearance. 

Already answered that in the previous question oops. I'd like to customize Bro!Ryder to look as much as his sis, if that option is available. I actually don't mind default Dad's appearance tbh? The only thing is, I figure he'd have a lot more scars thanks to his long and colourful military career. I figure Kalem would try to match him in that too.

26 Days: Do you have a specific class profile or mix of class profiles in mind for Ryder?

Stealth, long-range, and tech skills are the way to go for Midnight. I don't know if the classes will be the same in Andromeda or not but based on the previous three games, she'd either be Adept or Engineer. She will definitely have that Tactical Cloak, Overload, and Hacking abilities ready. Kalem, on the other hand would definitely be a Soldier or Vanguard class.

25 Days: Describe Ryder’s favorite combat style. Bioware call Peebee a “gunslinger” and describe Liam as a “close-range fighter” - how would you describe Ryder’s combat role/strengths? What are some of their favorite biotic/tech/other abilities?

Midnight is stealth and tech expert. She doesn't act rashly but considers carefully her every move. She's also resourceful and will use her environment to her advantage if she can. Since she isn't super strong she will probably have to rely a lot on her learned knowledge of her enemies' weaknesses. She prefers long-range guns and only resorting to close-quarter combat if she knows she can use her Tactical cloak and one-shot the enemy. She doesn't take unnecessary risks and she isn't reckless like her brother (or at least at the start of the game, we'll see how/if that will change as she grows into her role as the leader). She won her local science fair by building a robot when she was little and her love of robotics persists to this day. You will usually see her hack other machines or set up a turret to help her out.

24 Days: Which squadmates do you think will best compliment Ryder’s combat style? Alternatively, who do you plan to take out most in the field?

Hmm, since we haven't had a chance to get to know the companions yet, I really can't say for sure! I do kinda feel that she and Vetra would get along really well on the battlefield. Cora too probably? But I'll most likely rotate who she takes with her on missions so I can get to know them all better.

23 Days: Which weapons or category of weapons will Ryder prefer? Describe their favorite loadout.

Midnight's first love is a sniper rifle but she will most likely try to switch to another weapon so she can be on the front lines with her squad. She hates the idea of just sitting back in relative safety while her teammates put themselves in danger (it's a matter of honour, I guess) so she will train real hard to get good with other weapons (plus a sniper rifle is heavy af). I can see her choosing light pistols, also energy weapons (I think they showed in the trailer? cant remember their name) and maybe assault rifles. No for shotguns tho.

22 Days: Will Ryder craft? What are you most excited about crafting? Do you have any names in mind already for weapons?

I'm not too excited about crafting but my Ryder would definitely be :'D I can honestly see her crafting weapons and developing armour plans in her spare time, or when she has a lot on her mind. She likes to keep her hands busy. She'd be the kind who evaluates her team's combat skills and would develop weapons for them to boost their efficiency or accuracy. Also, she...often has insomnia and can't sleep so I can see her staying up all night and getting carried away crafting stuff for her team or herself. She'd need help naming her weapons tho - she gives them standard, boring names like 2K-501 but her bro would be the one to name them something ridiculous like 'Demolisher'.

21 Days: What are Ryder’s personality traits? Describe 5 strengths and 5 flaws.

Midnight is very hard-working and once she sets her mind on something, she gets it done. It can be a bad thing, however, since she tends to overwork herself a lot. She's a great planner and prefers to use her mind and diplomacy to solve problems and only resorts to violence if there's no other way. Because of this, however, she's a very inexperienced soldier who's not used to being a leader. She joined the Andromeda Initiative mainly to keep an eye on her brother, to keep him safe. Kalem's really the one who wanted to be the hero and lead the team but instead his sister was chosen, and as much as he loves his sister it was a bit of a blow to his ego. Whereas her brother is a rule-breaker, Midnight likes sticking to a routine or a strict set of rules. She isn't above questioning orders from her superiors, however. It's kind of her nature to question everything...she's very inquisitive and curious about everything. She was studying to be a scientist so learning about history or other species is absolutely fascinating to her. But because she is an inexperienced leader & soldier, she can get emotional during battle and do stupid, reckless things. Her brother teases her that he's rubbing off of her.

20 Days: What first impressions does Ryder tend to give people? Do they have any ‘odd’ or specific mannerisms, habits or other quirks? How do they present and carry themselves?

Midnight can seem serious and strict at first. Once she's given a mission, she becomes very focused, almost fixated on it. To really get to know her, you need to catch her off-guard, probably off the battlefield when her tactical mind isn't whirring and trying to plan 3 steps ahead. She handles diplomatic/political issues with ease but can be really awkward in personal social situations and is still struggling to be the charismatic leader she is expected to be. Despite all her knowledge and training she can be really naïve and as a result, ends up being a very easy victim to teasing (which her brother does all the time). Despite everything, she cares deeply for her teammates and her family and would go to any lengths to protect them. She's very good at controlling her emotions and can stay calm under pressure but gets completely overwhelmed when matters of the heart come into play :')

19 Days: Where would Ryder fall in the classic Paragon/Renegade morality system? What would their D&D alignment be? If you know their personality type in any personality typing systems (such as MBTI and Enneagram - you can find various type descriptions and tests using Google), feel free to add and discuss them here.

HOO BOY Midnight is definitely Paragon. At the beginning of the game, she starts out as a Lawful good which changes as the game progresses. I'd say her true self is somewhere on the neutral spectrum. Again, she starts out as INTJ (The Architect) and as she warms up to her team and grows into her role, becomes ISFJ (The Defender). Her Enneagram is Type 1: The Reformer.

18 Days: What qualities does Ryder like and dislike in other people? Are there any things they particularly appreciate or can’t stand?

Midnight hates disorder/chaos and she isn't really fond of surprises, since she likes to plan and be prepared for anything. Reckless, headstrong, aggressive or overly close-minded people who refuse to listen she'd have a hard time dealing with as well. She doesn't like insubordination either as it makes her feel incompetent as a leader. She admires idealistic, just people, those who are willing to do anything - even sacrifice themselves - to save others or do the right thing. She also admires humour and charisma, since she kinda sees herself as lacking those at the moment. Loyalty means everything to her, as well.