#and was a vital Disney figure of that time

[diogxnxs]

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. He was such a big fan of Donald Duck he said his whole name in shock.

"DONALD DUCK!?"

Imagine just minding your business pretending to not be poor in your home country and you’re a huge fan of that big time American actor Chris Evans and then you run into a guy who kinda looks like Chris Evans but maybe rich Americans just be lookin like Chris Evans sometimes idk so you decide to scam greet him and as you’re exchanging business cards it turns out to be tHE CHRIS EVANS IN THE FLESH.

That was José Carioca meeting Donald Duck

[skulkingwriter]

Oh my god.

TLDR: I've just encountered a meme in the wild for the first time and now my toddler is looking at me like I've lost my mind

Long version: so my son has become obsessed with Donald and Daisy Duck. He has loved ducks since he was old enough to identify a duck, duck was basically his first word, he loves a duck. So it's not a big surprise that Donald and Daisy went down a storm when we met them in Fantasia 2000, where they have an epic and moving comedy of errors on Noah's Ark to the tune of Land of Hope And Glory. (They both think the other has drowned. They are utterly inconsolable until they find each other again, at which point I weep my own tears. This deeply dramatic attachment to each other may come into play later in this story.) 

This was only his second exposure to the classic Disney animals because the Sorcerer's Apprentice is in the original Fantasia and we watched it first. Then, two beloved friends gave him a Brio train with Donald and Daisy figures, associating them with a SECOND form of very beloved transport, and cementing them as a) very important friends who we love and b) inseparable from each other.  

Yesterday, he asked for Donald and Daisy on the telly, so we had that section of Fantasia 2000 again. And then he asked for MORE Donald and Daisy. And for a moment, life was made of WOE. Because I was certain, given we have the Disney channel, this could be achieved. But I was not raised on the Disney Friends (princesses and other movies yes, mickey no) so the best I could do was type in 'donald' and 'daisy' into the search. TRAGICALLY, we could not find a single program that had Donald AND Daisy in the thumbnail, though there were plenty of Donald only and a smattering of Daisy-only and a few misc Ducks, and if you remember the first chapter of this epic you will know that it is VITALLY IMPORTANT that Donald and Daisy not be separated! My son WEPT INCONSOLABLY at the idea of watching a Donald cartoon without Daisy in it.  

And then, AND THEN, I spotted that in the background of the thumbnails for something called Mickey's Clubhouse, there was a group of characters including both Donald and Daisy! SUCCESS. So now we watch Mickey's Clubhouse even though it's slightly annoying and they use thinks like 'hot diggity dog' and 'mouseketools', it's at least high budget nonsense and better than fucking Blippi, who thinks Pluto is a planet and seems to make new Youtube accounts faster than I can block them. 

It's a success! Donald and Daisy are both here! They are clearly secondary characters, but it's good enough! And there's a fun but deeply odd mechanic with these 'mouseketools' where we take along three weird objects and have a slot left for a mystery object that will assist during the latter stages of the plot. 

At which point I, a very online but not very Disney-literate 40 year old, laugh for like three minutes and my son thinks I have finally relinquished my tenuous grip on reality. 

Or to put it another way: 

[starrycrystals]

Here are some personal takeaways and analysis after watching episodes 1 & 2 of Disney's Percy Jackson series. I've made a previous post discussing the series here.

------SPOILERS for EPISODES 1&2 of Disney's PERCY JACKSON--------

First of all, the acting was bad and seemed restrictive and expressionless BUT that's probably because the director decided to take this approach (which I hate)

Actors I've liked so far are: Grover's, Clarisse's, Annabeth's (although we've hardly seen her so far) and of course Jason Mantzoukas. That's right not Walker, which is just disappointing. I've seen him in other projects and he does an alright job, this just confirms my suspicion that the actors are not bad they just have to work with a bad script and direction. Even Mantzoukas' acting seemed restrained at some points, truly a shame.

The pacing is bad and the editing between scenes seems a little choppy.

Some camera angles are so wide and static that they took me out of the story even in emotional scenes.

All of these choices (and some involving the writing which I'm gonna get to in a second) I feel like didn't allow me to connect with most of the characters and especially the show's protagonist Percy, which is a blaring sign that sth went wrong along the process of making this series.

Percy:

He's such a lovable character that he's had multiple book series written with him in the leading role. Even though he often fills the role of the "chosen one", he exhibits traits of cleverness and battlefield knowledge both of which are intuitive to him but also grow as the books progress.

However, in the show it feels like EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. he gets a chance to prove this it gets swept away from him and makes him seem like the overplayed Mary Sue character where everything is happening around him, every piece of information is handed TO HIM instead of him figuring it out.

Even the fight with the Minotaur (which could be used to show his inate fighting instincts and bravery) felt a little off to me when I realized that the horn is removed simply because of.. idek some kind of godly strength?? It seems very Superman-esque and you just threw away the chance to show his ability with a sword even with no prior training.

And this keeps happening, people keep handing him information and giving him chances to escape camp even (!) when he very well could have tried to gather information or leave camp himself. Even the quest is handed to him, all vital information included™ by Chiron of all people (Side note: if the Oracle doesn't play a major role in the series I might just quit the show all together)

Sally Jackson & Gabe:

I feel like they shifted the characters and their dynamic a bit. Gabe doesn't seem as abusive as in the books and Sally seems to be able to stand up to him with literally no consequence from him, he just caves and lets them go. This might have something to do with the series being Disney-fied but I'm curious how this will play out and reflect as the audience witnesses Gabe's ultimate fate. Overall it seems like a pointless change that might reflect more poorly on Sally as a character.

Grover:

Grover's portrayal is actually one of the enjoyable parts of the show for me but it gets ruined when I think of some scenes they gave him. First his "betrayal" of Percy is just sad to watch when you're used to seeing them as a BFF always-by-your-side duo, especially when it happens in the very first episode of the series that introduces these characters. So far we haven't seen any consequence for this betrayal either.

This seems to be a pattern so far for the series, characters do things and in return get no consequences even if they're "bad" decisions. Another example is when Grover interrupts Dionysus' and Chiron's meeting with Percy and immediately disobeys Dionysus orders by presenting Percy with even more information regarding his mother. To my shock and displeasure this AGAIN has had no consequences brought on Grover. Interrupting two very important people, one of which a god and disobeying their orders in the same breath should have SOME consequence, no? Dionysus even gives Grover a look of genuine disappointment and pity but literally nothing else happens.

---------------------

Now, I haven't watched episode 3 and the rest of the series hasn't aired as of yet. Therefore some of these things might change or develop.

Overall the series so far has left me disappointed and ultimately baffled at the lack of entertaining value it provided me. I felt like I sat down to watch some pretty scenery and graphics for almost two hours with no emotions involved whatsoever. It just wasn't ψυχαγωγικό for me.

[zdbztumble]

Yet Another Kingdom Hearts Revisit, Part FINAL

I'm shocked every time I play the game by the ending. I still cannot believe that Kingdom Hearts was allowed to end the way it does. Video games might not be as expensive or as influential as a major motion picture, and Disney might not be terribly hands-on with the development of each game, but I can't imagine the company today allowing such an untested, improbable, and high-profile crossover to go through without a happy ending for some insurance. I can scarcely imagine the Disney of the early 2000s allowing it, but what do we have? An ending where Mickey Mouse is trapped in the realm of darkness with an edgy teen who was tempted by a figurative devil, Donald and Goofy are adrift in the universe with no clear way home, and the young/first love story between the original characters ends with them literally pulled apart. It took two more games for any of these characters to find a happy ending which was later torn up, but never mind.

But if those other games had never come - if Kingdom Hearts was a critically acclaimed but financially unsuccessful game, or if Square folded after 2002, or if they and Disney had a parting of ways that kept any more games from being made - the ending of KH I is still an almost perfect finale. And a large part of that comes down to the fact that it is an ending.

Leave out the rest of the series and take KH I on its own terms. The main conflict is that world after world is being consumed and destroyed by the Heartless, ostensibly due to the League of Disney Villains but really due to Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. King Mickey recognizes the danger and organizes a resistance with Final Fantasy characters that tries to learn what became of Ansem, and Sora ends up tasked with saving vulnerable worlds and undoing the damage already done.

By the end of KH I, the goals of the heroes are all accomplished. The story doesn't turn out to be a cog in the ever more convoluted scheming of a guy in a black coat; it's self-contained and resolved. All the Ansem Reports are found, Mickey's efforts with the FF crew provide vital aid to Sora, and Sora saves the universe.

On a character level, everything set up in the beginning of the game has a resolution. The innocent, childlike, plucky underdog proves himself a responsible, selfless, true hero over everyone's expectations (except for Kairi's). The posturing, swaggering big man on campus technically chosen to play hero proves himself a pawn to darkness, but finds redemption in the end. The girl caught between them, a girl with a mysterious past and budding insecurity about the future, turns out to have a big destiny and gains renewed faith through her love and trust in Sora. Donald and Goofy honor their vows to their king, and the king is confident that all is well. They all may end up separated, their victory tinged with loss and sacrifice - but they've all grown and changed through their adventures, in ways that satisfy the conflicts and doubts they have at the start. Their conflicts end.

It's not necessary that they all make it home for a happy ending (as beautiful as that moment is when it finally comes in KH II). It isn't necessary that they die either. And it isn't necessary to have a secret movie teasing a possible future entry, as fun as that is. The finale, as bittersweet as it is, ties up the game, in a way I can only fault for how technically illogical (but thematically brilliant) Kingdom Hearts the place is, and for not making as good a use of Chernabog as they could have.

[forestenjoyer]

tw leftist meme

this is more of a vent post than anything so be nice and bear with me. i was feeling down earlier so i did some writing to try to get my thoughts straight, and i wrote this.

Every time i feel down, i wonder what it that makes me feel this way. And there are many things. Is it species dysphoria? Sometimes. Is it fear of the future? fear of never living my one life the way i want to? Dread of the increasing amount of people who seemingly hate my kind? Fear for me and the people i love? Climate Anxiety? Loneliness? Yeah, sometimes. But sometimes I can't figure it out, and there is a thought in the back of my mind, and it never goes away. I try to tell myself that some days I'm just not feeling it, and thats true. But sometimes i get upset because i cant really disprove the thought. I'm scared of capitalism, and I'm scared of the way it poisons everything that i love.

When I first heard the thought, i was a social democrat, and it was easy for me to just tell myself that i was being ridiculous. but after time, the thought dawned on me, and everywhere i looked, i saw evidence.

Corporations exist to make a profit. They don't care about us being satisfied unless it's profitable to them. When they get influential enough, people begin to become dependent on them. Once this happens, they can gouge prices for more profit, as they are doing now. What will the government do? Nothing, because more often than not, they have an incentive to support the company. Perhaps the company is a donor, perhaps they are bribed, perhaps the obscene wealth makes them look good by some measurements, or perhaps they themselves are a CEO.

So, right. The government, who is allegedly supposed to take care of us, the people, isn't going to help, as it hasn't. So it's up to us, but say this company provides a vital service and is the only one who does so at any reasonable quality (Google), or has people addicted (Meta, McDonald's), or has so much variety and power that avoiding it is incredibly difficult (Disney, Nestle). If this is the case, which is is, it's very hard to boycott them.and those who advocate for change or participate in attempts to force change are mocked and taunted by bad actors and gullible folk. And by bad actors, I mean people who defend the company because they too own businesses. Landlords, local business owners, and so on. They are middle class twats who have never had to suffer the struggle of a normal person. And yet they LARP as us, calling themselves everyday hardworking folk, but actually own a business or an estate and have never had to confront the fears of tenancy, homelessness, poverty, and so on.

And i despise these people. They pretend to be us, and trivialise our struggle, saying lifes not that hard, and even call us elitists and entitled, and complain about us. And they manipulate and lie like this and act like they suffer while they collect rent from tenants after their third overseas holiday of the year.

And maybe you believe in reform. I did too. But do you ever find yourself asking 'How?' Do you ever grow weary of politicians throwing you and your movement under the bus? Or failing to fulfill their promises? Do you ever catch yourself thinking 'this is hopeless'? What do you do when you hear that, or when others tell you that? A reasonable person would take it in good faith, consider it, and try to find its flaws. And if you really knew that reform was possible, or realistic, you could explain why to yourself. I never could. I would joke around and throw insults because I couldn't argue with it, and everyone else did the same. I thought 'those stupid leftists are so foolish' and said it was ridiculous.

And thats why I caved, After all, if you cant see a way for peaceful protests and voting alone to bring change, and have watched it fail to over and over again, is it not reasonable to turn to the ideas that can give you answers, that being anarchism? The government cannot ignore a riot like it can ignore a peaceful protest. And if the government cannot and will not help us, we will have to help ourselves and each other.

And this is only a small part of it. I hate how it has ruined and weaponised science and strangled art. I hate how it destroys the environment. and i cant stand the way it does so with such self righteousness and entitlement

[eruanna1875]

If anybody’s watched through Season 1 of “The Way Home”, and thought that Elliot went a little haywire in the last episode, this post is for you.

See, in Elliot’s last scene of the season, he broke up with Kat. But the pretense for it is basically “I’ve suddenly contracted Disney Princess Syndrome and now I’m discontent with the very good place I’m in”.

(I mean honestly, what man who’s loved a girl unrequited since he was a teenager—and who just won that girl’s heart!—throws all that away for the sake of some vague sense of self-discovery?)

It’s annoying. What’s more, it doesn’t make sense, for him or in general. It’s just done to keep up the “will-they-won’t-they” drama going on, and it does it poorly.

But… what if that’s not why he parted ways with Kat? What if there was a different reason—one much deeper and more compelling?

Well, I’m about to tell you.

(By the way, this isn’t really a theory, but more of a suggestion for an alternate version that I think would’ve worked better.)

So. Elliot.

Ever since he was a teenager, he’s known, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that he wasn’t going to end up with Kat. But, on the flip side, he’s also known, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that he and Kat were going to be alive for the next 23 years. No matter what happened, all those years they were apart, he knew neither of them could die, because Alice said they wouldn’t. It’s sort of a tragic stability—they’ll live without each other, but they’ll live.

He’s never had to be afraid of death, for himself or for her.

But all that changes when the 23 years run out.

This could explain why he kept trying to get Alice not to go—obviously, she’s going to go, because she already did, you can’t stop that. Whatever happens has already happened. But the more trips she makes, the closer she gets to her last trip. And as soon as that last trip is over, the stability is gone. All the prophecies are fulfilled. All the time he had knowing he (and Kat) were indestructible is spent, right when they finally find themselves together.

And now what? He’s spent all these years knowing the future, or at least part of it. But now, it’s a pure unknown. For all he knows, he could die tomorrow, or Kat, or Alice. (And he’s seen how quickly a happy family can be shattered—though he doesn’t realize it as much as the Landrys, it scarred him too.)

Elliot is a scientific man. To him, the future has always had a stabilizing element, even if it’s painful. Now that it’s gone, he can’t function. There’s too many variables. And he can’t live the perfect dream when he knows he could wake up any moment. Kat tries to get him to change his mind, but he doesn’t listen. He has to find something to stabilize it again.

This could drive conflict in Season 2 that makes sense—Kat, having to reach out to one of the two people who stabilized her throughout this whole thing (and the man she’s fallen in love with). Plus Alice, of course, having to be the sensible one this time around, the one calling out a friend who’s caught up in the wrong time.

This could drive plot points—Elliot’s been taking notes throughout the whole season, trying to figure out how the Pond works. Maybe he uses them now to try to find that stabilizing element, work around the variables, eliminate the unknown. Maybe he discovers new things about the Pond that are vital to the story; helpful, or dangerous.

And this could play to so many themes—the Landrys, especially Del and Kat, were afraid of facing the past, but Elliot is afraid of facing the future. He has to learn to face it the same way they learned to face the past, which is together. He has to learn to live with the variables. And he has to learn to risk in the face of the unknown.

GOSH, it could’ve been good.

[synergysilhouette]

Plotting out "Charlie Bone" (Disney movie)

Link to the OG post of the Reinvention era here.

Background

(Disclaimer: Given that this is an adaptation of a novel, I'm making changes that I'd assume would happen given how books are translated to film, whether good or bad. I love this series, but I wanted to do a kinda realistic adaptation with how the film industry works)

Following Disney's recent successes, a pitch eventually makes their way to them for a story that came in the form of something they don't often adapt: a novel. Not having done so since the 2000s with "Treasure Planet," "Meet the Robinsons," and "The Princess and the Frog" (and very loosely), the idea is met with hesitation, even at the suggestion of making it a musical. The story--a proposed adaptation of the "Children of the Red King" series by Jenny Nimmo--is 7 books long, and in executives minds would be much better suited for a live-action series on Disney+, citing the recent success of "Percy Jackson," especially seeing how young most of the main characters are in the story and concern that it will alienate a big chunk of their audience. However, they're eventually coaxed into the idea, but decide to make notable changes pending Nimmo's approval, ie several characters are removed, altered, or conflated with someone else (notably conflating the characters of Henry Yewbeam and Ollie Sparks, given their similar mistreatment at Bloor's Academy), most of the students are now moved into the age bracket of 14-18, and Charlie's Welsh heritage being a bit more pronounced in the story, and making the Red King's history known in the film rather than waiting later. Wanting to emulate the "Harry Potter" series, they decide to use the film as an intro into the world of Charlie Bone rather than throwing in every vital piece of information seen in the series. While originally considering Peter Baynton as director due to his work on "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse," they eventually approach Chris Sanders to direct and write the film due to his successes with Dreamworks, and the Anderson-Lopez team is brought on to do the music once more (making this their 3rd Reconstruction-era film). While 2D animation was considered, they decided that 3D was better for a more "serious and grounded" look to fit into the modern-day setting with magical elements. They also decide to keep most of the focus on the younger cast with the older characters being hinted at as a threat to be dealt with later. Juuuuuust in case the film didn't meet critical and/or box office expectations, Disney decides to leave the film slightly open-ended, but with no specific hints to the future.

(Note: The film would be influenced by the first 3 books, but I never really decided if it would be 3 books in one film, or if it would be an original story containing certain details from the 3 books such as Emilia's kidnapping, the time twister and Dorothy, and the blue boa.)

Plot

Charlie Bone has always had a funny way with images, be they photographs or paintings. Sometimes he sees them move, sometimes he hears them talk--and sometimes he can even hear their thoughts at the moment the picture was being taken. This makes his Grandma Bone enroll him in Bloor's Academy, a school for young people gifted at music, art, or drama, though the school is known for also admitting descendants of the Red King, a mysterious figure from whom Charlie is descended and gets his powers from. While there, he falls under the watchful eye of the Bloor family, who plan to use his powers for sinister purposes.

Characters

(Note: As usual, this isn't an extensive list of characters. While I usually list 3-5, this is a novel adaptation, so I recommend going to the wiki for a better understanding of the characters, which in my mind Disney would mostly follow. Given the large cast, I'm only discussing two characters who represent the two "sides" of the Red King's Descendants)

Charlie Bone--A young man able to hear paintings and pictures (and then some), his paternal grandmother immediately sends him to Bloor's Academy, where other people "like him" go to school. Thankfully, his friend Fidelio goes there, and he makes friends with several people, particularly Olivia, Lysdandre, Tancred, Emma (once Emilia) and Gabriel. They all have sympathy for (and are somewhat protective of) the younger Billy Raven, but his vulnerability and easily influenced personality thanks to be raised by the Bloors for years has made his allegiance questionable. Charlie's main goal is finding out about the death of his father, which no one at home talks about, and some of the staff at Bloor's act strangely about. His only allies outside the school are his mother, maternal grandmother, and paternal uncle, while his paternal grandmother and her sisters report directly to the headmaster of Bloor's Academy, and they seem to be hiding a sinister secret with Charlie at the center of it all.

(Important note: to reduce the already large cast size, Benjamin is removed, with aspects of his character and story being given to Fidelio and Billy)

Manfred Bloor--The son of the headmaster of Bloor's Academy, Manfred is endlessly spoiled due to being the only person in his direct family who's been given a gift in ages, notably the ability to hypnotize. It's been noted that there's something "not quite right" about him, being quite prone to evil deeds but also emotionally vulnerable, particularly where his mother is concerned. With the expectations thrust upon him, he's grown up to be quite mature for his age (even if he can be a bit childish and still have regular teenage insecurities), and uses his powers of hypnotism to the benefit of the Bloors. He has very few friends; in the film, they are only Asa, Zelda, Joshua, and Dorcas.

Songs:

Passing Through--Ever since he was a child, Charlie has been drawn to images. When a friend's birthday card is accidentally sent to him, he discovers that he can actually hear what the subjects in the painting are saying and thinking. He wonders if he can use this skill to find out how his father died, but his paternal grandmother has removed all pictures of him, and Charlie suspects it has to do more with his gift than with her grief.

Shadow of a Doubt--Going to Bloor's for the first time, Charlie is overwhelmed by Manfred Bloor, the son of the headmaster who reveals he is a hypnotist, and a very skilled one at that. The Bloors are assured by Charlie's grandmother and her family (minus her brother) that Charlie will be compliant to the school and the Bloor's goals, but Charlie himself won't make it easy on them.

Waiting in Silence--As Charlie gets accustomed to Bloor's and makes new friends, he feels sympathy towards Billy Raven, who stays at the school perpetually due to being an orphan. While Charlie and his friends try to include him in their social circle, it becomes apparent that Billy is used as a pawn for the Bloor's, and they reluctantly exclude him from their more clandestine activity.

Fly Away--Upon the discovery that she is Emma Tolly and she was brainwashed by Manfred Bloor, Emilia Moon takes flight from her so-called "parents," and realizes that her "brother" Henry (a cross between Henry Yewbeam and Ollie Sparks) is also an imprisoned victim of the Bloors, and she rescues him too.

The Red Tree--Charlie meets Manfred's mother, who has been kept at Bloor's Academy against her will, and tells Charlie about the history of the Red King (sans Shadow). She hopes that the insight into his family history will shed some light on the sides chosen at the school.

Blackout--Paton, Charlie's uncle who often tries to stay out of his older sisters' way and keep his head down, stands up against Charlie's Grandma Bone and successfully intimidates the Bloors into leaving Charlie alone, at least for a time.

Shadow of a Doubt (Reprise)--Following the aforementioned "open-ended" ending, a last-minute lullaby is sung by Manfred, who seems to become more controlled and relaxed, singing about how despite Charlie's triumphs, he still has an ace in the hole: Charlie's father is actually alive and well, and is under a spell placed by Manfred.

Hope you enjoyed this idea! Lemme know if you have any questions. I'm a big fan of the series (wish there were more of us), so I kinda felt awful about having to slice and dice up the books to fit the style of book-to-film adaptations. Next up is the final film in my Reinvention era!

[phoenix-downer]

KH3 Retrospective

I can’t believe it’s been four years already since KH3 came out. It both feels like it came out ages ago and just last month. Above was the very first screenshot I took as I started my playthrough. I was so awed by how good the textures for the stained glass on the Station of Awakening looked. 

Something I did while I was playing KH3 was create a little Google doc of my first reactions/impressions (as well as spamming the screenshot button lol). Here was from the first page: 

New version of Dearly Beloved is gorgeous - sounds similar to DDD version a little

Sora’s opening line is so good - Kairi is his home

Opening - Kairi and Sora’s chess pieces by each other

Kairi’s piece is the paopu piece

Riku looks gorgeous

Everyone looks beautiful

The door opening to save everyone there at the end

Seven hearts to save

Sora’s holding Xehanort’s piece at the end - checkmate?

Station of Awakening is GORGEOUS - looks like actual stained glass now

Showing Sora’s memories

Wisdom, vitality, balance - which one?!

I chose balance (yay SDG!)

Guardian, Warrior, Mystic

I chose Guardian (yay Namine!)

Tidal wave, then Sora ended up in cloud world

Destati sounds awesome

Sora’s opening lines are so good

Mysterious Tower music sounds so good

Cable Town looked gorgeous - Land of Departure?

Sora’s theme sounds kickass

Ending scenes from 0.2 played again to catch you up to speed on SDG

Next year for the fifth anniversary I want to share more of the document, perhaps in a more organized fashion (I also had a reaction document for ReMind and Melody of Memory that I might share excerpts from in the future). It’s just such a neat little time capsule of my immediate first reactions to everything, and while I had to use the pause button a lot, it’s fun to look back on what I was thinking in the moment before my later thoughts/perceptions took over. Definitely worth the time it took to record everything. 

For KH4 I want to continue the trend, as it also makes for a fun way to share the first playthrough experience with my friends and it makes it easier to write analysis posts later on.

Summarizing my thoughts now on KH3: 

The good: Beautiful graphics, world environments were a huge upgrade, the music was amazing, the humor in the Disney worlds was really good, Olympus Coliseum, Kingdom of Corona (the dancing minigame!), The Caribbean, San Fransokyo, Wayfinder Trio Reunion, Xion’s return, Roxas’s return, all the heartfelt Sora and Kairi moments, Young Xehanort, the Keyblade transformations, having more than two people in your party at a time now, the Luxu reveal.

The bad: No true midpoint to the game, no FF characters, the climax was rushed, wish Naminé was more involved, the way Kairi got “killed” was super bleh, and I’m still not a fan of the original ending (the secret ending excluding Kairi also made me ehhhhhh). 

And this leads me into another part of the document. When I consume a piece of media, I like to think about what worked well and why. It’s just really fun to celebrate good writing and learn from it, you know? Hence all the translation/analysis posts I’ve done of certain scenes from KH3. I also like to figure out how I would “fix” anything that didn’t land for me because it’s also a good learning experience, and at the end of my initial thoughts document, I actually included a list of things I thought would improve the writing of KH3. Of course, this is all based on my own personal feelings/interpretations, and as it stands, ReMind fixed a number of them anyway. But I thought I’d share my initial “fixes” in bold and then my thoughts about them now. 

Writing Changes:

Have Sora think about Kairi a la KH2 - Flynn/Rapunzel, Will/Elizabeth… - this isn’t really going to be changed at this point for obvious reasons, but I missed the little moments where Sora was thinking of Kairi in KH2 (like when Will and Elizabeth hugged, when he saw Jack and Sally dancing, etc.) and thought those would have strengthened the romantic plotline of KH3.

Sora’s reunion with Riku was anticlimactic - ditto, not gonna be updated at this point, but I remember thinking oh that’s it lol when technically we hadn’t seen them onscreen together since 2012 (trailers notwithstanding). In universe it makes sense though because it hasn’t been that long since they’ve seen each other. Plus, I assume their reunion in KH4 will be good, so I’m looking forward to that. 

Sora’s reunion with Kairi was also anticlimactic - see above, not gonna get changed at this point, but I wish they’d gotten a moment together before the big group meetup or at least him reacting to seeing her again. We hadn’t seen them talk directly since Blank Points I think? (trailers notwithstanding). So yeah I was a little disappointed there wasn’t more to their reunion, and again I think a little moment or brief scene that could’ve built up to the paopu fruit more. And at this point in the game I definitely got the feeling that Nomura was rushing to finish before deadlines hit + the burnout was setting in and he couldn’t spare any time to extras like this, just the core scenes that had to be there (group meetup, Aqua and Ven convo about Terra, Riku and Repliku scene, Kairi and Sora paopu sharing scene). He might have also had to do a bunch of last minute rewrites, who knows.

Have Kairi actually send her letter to Sora - I assume this will happen at a later date, looking back now it feels like foreshadowing, so I’m not sure why I complained about this lol. I do think at some point Sora will read the letter because why go to all that trouble of showing Kairi writing it + having her read it to the audience if it won’t be significant down the line? The focus on Sora’s smile makes me think he might get the letter when he’s feeling really down and needs to be cheered up, but we’ll see.

Have Sora have some way of contacting her like he can contact Riku - Yeah idk Square acts allergic sometimes to the love interests contacting the main character (see FFXV...), and in universe she was training with Merlin and Axel in a place where time flowed differently etc. so I get why she didn’t. Again I was just thinking of ways the paopu scene could’ve been built up to more effectively within KH3 itself (obviously the paopu scene has been foreshadowed since KH1 so that wasn’t my issue, more that I wanted more buildup within KH3 that built on the buildup we saw in KH1 and KH2 and Blank Points).

Keep Kairi getting killed… but have it be because she was protecting Sora of her own free volition - Yeah I’m still not happy about how this was handled. ReMind helped make this more tolerable because she did get to fight Xehanort by Sora’s side, but I still think her “death” could’ve been handled a lot better. And that’s all I’ll say about that lol, it’s a topic that’s been discussed to death at this point.

Go into more depth about what YX said - I think this was about all of Young Xehanort’s cryptic foreshadowing to Sora, I honestly can’t remember lol. But I do think, now that I’ve replayed the game, the foreshadowing works well, so I think this was more of an initial reaction on my part. 

Show Sora going to rescue her - This was one of my biggest issues with how KH3 originally ended, and I remember feeling robbed that we didn’t get to see Sora’s rescue mission of Kairi, but little did I know what Nomura had in store lol. ReMind more than fixed this, and I will be forever grateful to it and to Nomura for knowing how important this was and making sure it was added to the story. ReMind elevated KH3 so much for me, and looking back, I really do think Nomura was making the best of a bad situation (engine switch a year into development, tight deadlines, Disney being strict, serious burnout, sky high expectations...) with vanilla KH3, and I hope he gets the development time he needs to tell the story he wants to tell with KH4. I just remember reading some of his interviews post-KH3 and you could tell how exhausted and burnt out he was, and I really hope he doesn’t go through that again. 

End things on a less gutpunch of an ending - I know some people loved KH3′s ending so this is subjective, but I did not lol. Thankfully, ReMind fixed this and made the ending more bittersweet now that we’ve seen Sora rescuing Kairi. It feels much better knowing he got those moments with her traveling the worlds before he disappeared. 

Roxas and Sora barely interacted - ReMind fixed this too (noticing a pattern here?) I was really happy with the additional screentime they got in ReMind together  because honestly, their relationship is one of my favorites in the entire series.

Sora still hasn’t thanked Namine - I assume this will happen at a later date, I just remember thinking poor Naminé hadn’t gotten thanked yet. But I do think Nomura has something specific in mind for this scene and we will see it at some future date. So less of a “this should’ve been in KH3″ thing and more “oh bummer I’ll have to wait a while yet to see this.” 

Xehanort got off easy - I think this whole plot point was a victim of the rushed pacing that impacted both the climax and ending of KH3. I remember thinking to myself that Xehanort should not have gotten to die and go to Keyblade Heaven with Eraqus in the same game where he “killed” the protagonist’s girlfriend (which resulted in the protagonist’s “death”) especially not so soon after it happened. But in a way it’s also kind of realistic? The bad guy doesn’t always get what he deserves in real life, so I can see why Nomura took this angle here (though I would argue that in stories you can show good triumphing over evil and in fact people tend to want that more than realism due to the escapist nature of fiction). Then again, I’m kind of biased because I’m not a fan in general of turning Xehanort from a main villain to a misunderstood guy with an angsty backstory who was manipulated by the True Big Bad. I get the feeling we haven’t seen the last of him given that art of his younger self with an umbrella that came out for Dark Road’s ending, so I’m bracing myself for him to show up in Quadratum and team up with Sora, and meh, I just wish the series would move past him at this point, you know?

Destiny Trio still not a trio :( - fix that - I do hope that we get more Destiny Trio interactions in KH4, but looking back, I kinda get why there wasn’t a whole lot of them in KH3. The focus was more on Sora and Kairi’s relationship since that played such a key role in the climax and ending of the story, and there will be time in the future for the three to interact more. Nomura had that quote about how KH3 would feature relationships changing etc., and we did see that with the focus more on Sora and Kairi’s relationship (plus Melody of Memory gave us some Riku and Kairi interactions, and KH4 is probably gonna feature some good Sora and Riku interactions given how they’ll probably reunite before Sora and Kairi do. And then Kairi and Sora’s reunion will be important given how they were separated, and I imagine there will be at least one meaningful scene of the three of them together). 

Have Kairi fight back while she’s being taken - in her defense, it was very realistic for a short, petite fifteen-year old girl to have trouble fighting back against a grown ass man who 1) towers over her and most of the rest of the cast, and 2) is wrenching her arm back in a way that meant she’d likely dislocate her own arm if she tried to fight back. I just still wish this entire plot point had been handled differently, but it’s in the past now, not much more to be said about it.

Roxas and Xion were freed maybe when Sora “died”? - I think I had this on there because I thought the story would’ve benefited from the rescues being spread out more, giving time to focus on each one and allowing some longer soft/quiet moments with the character reunions. 

Anyway, thanks for reading all this. It was interesting going back and looking at my initial reactions to KH3 and how my thoughts and feelings have changed over time. I think the big factors in the shift are that ReMind really added so much to the story and fixed most of my major issues with it, and I have a better picture now of all the stressors Nomura had to deal with to get the game out the door. Honestly it’s probably a small miracle the vanilla game turned out as well as it did given all the factors he was working against, and for that I have a lot of respect for him. And it was clear he was aware of the issues, you know? Otherwise he wouldn’t have released ReMind. He wanted KH3 to be good and he wanted to make the fans happy, so he did what he could to improve on the base game. And there are some truly fantastic moments in the base game and ReMind alike that I loved analyzing every single piece of. 

How about you guys? How have your thoughts/feelings towards KH3 changed over time if at all? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

This article is unbelievable. What the MCU is doing to the VFX workers is unacceptable.

After Mark Patch was offered a short-term position working on VFX for a Marvel series on Disney+, he says the studio balked at paying him his going rate — demanding to first see a pay stub from his work on Tenet proving his market value, then undershooting Patch’s quote by several hundred dollars a week. [...] requiring that Patch keep his employment at the company a secret and avoid any social-media posts that might indicate he was affiliated with a MCU project. “I was like, ‘Okay, I can’t even tell my family where I am?’” he recalls. “What is this — the Manhattan Project?!”

Confronted with the prospect of what he was told would be 18-hour days, seven days a week, for three months straight, Patch walked away from the contract.

[...] Marvel’s tendency to compensate contractual employees on a weekly basis (no matter how many hours worked) is common practice across the industry, [but] it pays upward of 20% less than other studios when doing so.

One visual-effects worker currently employed by the MCU on a feature project estimates that they are completing approximately four times the amount of work they are being paid for.

[On MCU directors] “They just get some guy who made a cheap movie or an indie thing with a positive buzz,” Patch explains. “And they say, ‘Okay, we can guide this person to do what we want.’”

Worse yet, VFX workers say that Marvel’s heads often choose to alter endings during the final stages of postproduction, something that they say can happen at other studio divisions — albeit with less frequency. “They don’t figure stuff out early enough. So they rewrite, redo, and fumble in the dark for a long time while we are doing the VFX.” This animator recalled a whole portion of an action sequence that hadn’t been storyboarded before postproduction. “It was just, ‘This hero avoids many things for this amount of time.’ Everything was blank. Basically, the studio said to the VFX artists, ‘Figure it out. Make it look cool.’ They had no idea what they wanted to do. Since the movies work so well, people think, Oh, well that’s the way to do it. That’s the hard part. There’s a better way that’s less stressful on the artist and less expensive for sure.”

[xiki-pupper]

Health Insurance isn't Helpful; it's holding your life and wellbeing for RANSOM.

on 2/9/23, A patient had scheduled an MRI for TODAY, 2/22/23. That's about a three weeks wait.

Whenever we schedule MRIs, our Radiology department sends the info to the insurance company so they can review the diagnosis and see that the MRI is medically necessary.

That means this imaging scan has been ON the schedule and SENT to insurance for ALMOST A MONTH. This poor patient has been in pain for even LONGER than that, because usually, to see our doctors, scheduling is booked out a week or few. So this poor person has been suffering for quite a while now.

So why is it that, JUST NOW, the morning of 2/22/23, I get a Fax from insurance saying "Your request for MRI was DENIED."

ExFUCKINGscyuuuse me??? Y'all had 3 WHOLE ASS WEEKS to tell us, and you decide to send a fax the AFTERNOON BEFORE the actual appointment - and we get THOUSANDS of faxes EVERY day, it takes time to recieve them, sort them, respond to them - and by the time I get ahold of this fax, I look at the clock - that patient is AT THEIR MRI APPOINTMENT RIGHT THE FUCK NOW, GETTING IT DONE. They're halfway through it already!

This is like Ebay Scalpers!!

This is like in the Disney Atlantis movie, where Milo's scheduled Proposal was SUDDENLY rescheduled to an HOUR ago so they could just Deny him without putting any effort!

This is Unreasonably CRIMINAL!!

This is fucking INTENTIONAL!!!!!!

This patient has an injury! they are IN! PAIN!! and they HAVE been! FOR!! WEEKS!!

And a DOCTOR; A Fully Qualified MD, who has been practicing for years, had a visit with the patient and says "We need imaging to see more clearly what's going on and find the best treatment for you."

Meanwhile, INSURANCE, gets to say, "Nnnnah. I know better than your Doctor. You don't NEED this so if you REALLY wanna get it, that'll be $1000-$5000."

And that money isn't even going directly to the insurance; it's going to the facility that's actually rendering the MRI scan.

They aren't even MAKING money from this, they are just NOT SPENDING on something - something that's 100% NECESSARY! That's not what it means to save money! Saving money means putting extra money away for later use, not WITHOLDING VITAL TREATMENT THAT AFFECTS SOMEONES LIFE.

Why is real life nowadays even WORSE than the cartoons and movies of the 80s and 90s, of overly crooked CEOs and Greedy Land Developers etc, and they're always so over-the-top evil and Unreasonably cruel- why is that reality right now???

And they don't even tell the poor patient until it's ALREADY being done, so now they're stuck with it. It's too late.

I fucking hate this country.

Working in Health is so exhausting and discouraging. This is miserable. Just about every-other-country has figured it out yet we are here begging and fighting for scraps, and getting less than scrap for the cost of a mansion.

I'm so fucking tired.

[danielspoussart]

Mickey Mouse: The Timeless Ambassador of Disney Magic

Disney has introduced many beloved characters since its inception, but none have captured the global imagination like Mickey Mouse. Created in 1928, Mickey is not just a character; he's an icon, embodying the spirit of Disney and influencing cultural landscapes worldwide. This article delves into why Mickey Mouse is the most popular Disney character, exploring his inception, evolution, cultural impact, and role as a merchandising titan.

The Birth of an Icon

Mickey Mouse debuted in "Steamboat Willie" on November 18, 1928, marking a revolutionary moment in animation with its synchronized sound. Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks designed Mickey to replace their previous character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, from whom they had unfortunately lost the rights. Mickey’s optimistic demeanor and everyman qualities made him a hit with audiences during the Great Depression, symbolizing hope and perseverance.

Evolution Through the Ages

Over the decades, Mickey Mouse has undergone significant transformations, adapting to the changing tastes and technologies of the times. From his early black-and-white films to the introduction of color in "The Band Concert" (1935) and later, his transition into 3D animations and digital platforms, Mickey has consistently evolved while maintaining his essential charm. This ability to adapt while staying true to his roots is vital to his enduring popularity.

Cultural and Global Impact

Mickey Mouse transcends the boundaries of mere entertainment; he is a cultural icon. His influence is profound, shaping not only the world of animation but also leaving an indelible mark on global culture. Mickey was one of the first characters to have widespread merchandise, appear in comic strips, and be used as a political figure during World War II, showcasing his versatility and universal appeal. Moreover, his theme parks, starting with Disneyland in 1955, have become global destinations, promoting Mickey’s image and Disney’s magical experience worldwide.

Emotional Connection

What truly cements Mickey’s status as the most popular Disney character is fans' deep emotional connection with him. Mickey represents joy, resilience, and innocence—qualities that resonate across different ages and cultures. His stories often depict him as an underdog who uses wit and bravery to overcome adversity, appealing to our universal rooting for the 'little guy.' This narrative allows viewers to see themselves in Mickey, fostering a personal connection that spans generations.

Merchandising and Brand Representation

Mickey Mouse is not only a character but also a brand. Mickey Mouse's merchandising is unparalleled, with his face appearing on everything from watches and apparel to stationery and home decor. This merchandising extends his reach and reinforces his popularity, ensuring he remains a prominent figure in pop culture and commerce. As Disney's mascot, Mickey is often the first image associated with the company, embodying its values of creativity, innovation, and happiness.

The Enduring Legacy of Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse remains Disney's most famous character not just because of his historical significance or commercial appeal but because he represents the core of what Disney stands for—imagination, joy, and a sprinkle of magic. As Disney continues to expand and evolve, Mickey remains at the heart of its universe, an eternal symbol of Disney's joyous escapism to the world.

[gaykarstaagforever]

Anastasia (1997)

Man. This Disney Princess schtick gets problematic and weird when you try and bring it into the real world, doesn't it?

As far as the movie itself, it's typical perfectly fine Don Bluth fair: fantastic animation and voice cast, music that is good if not quite hooky enough to be memorable, weird pacing and tonal shifts that make it feel like a 2 hour movie he chopped down to 90 minutes, without caring that he took out some of the plot and ruined a lot of the jokes.

"YEAH WELL IT'S NOT A DISNEY MOVIE!" You're right, it isn't. But not for lack of trying, because Don Bluth was certainly trying. And as usual, his movies lack that vital polish, the attention to small details, that this era of Disney had, that really takes this sort of thing from good to great.

Plus he always needs big convoluted action sequences that are impressive for what they are, but don't usually do much to advance the story. It's almost like those are serving as distractions from the uneven character arcs and uninspired dialogue. Like he was well aware there was a problem, but because of his ego or management style, he couldn't do anything about it.

I don't know. It's not BAD, it's just Bluth. And that's fine. But these will always play second fiddle to the Disney Renaissance stuff, and for good reason. That's a nearly impossible level to get to. And he never did.

...Especially not with a story like this! Whew, boy!

Disney at this time did Hunchback and Hercules, two children's movie musical adaptations of dark adult properties. And those aren't perfect, but pull it off with charm. Bluth tries it here, and it just gets weird. For reasons I'm certain the movie didn't bother explaining, Czar Nicholas Romanov of Russia turns against Rasputin, who here is an evil wizard with a jar of glowing demon slime. Rasputin reaponds by cursing the Romanov family, which somehow translates into the Russian Revolution happening. They all get killed except for Nicholas's mother and Princess Anastasia, who are rescued by a servant boy, and in the process of this rescue, Anastasia kicks Rasputin into the icy river where he loses his magic jar and dies...sort of.

10 years later, in the midst of Communist St. Petersburg, the servant boy has grown up into a conman who is trying to find a woman to pretend to be Anastasia, because the surviving Empress Dowager lives in Paris and will give $10 million rubles to whoever finds Anastasia.

Anastasia herself ended up in a Russian orphanage with partial amnesia, and falls in with the conman as his new pick to con the Empress Dowager. Except she's actually Anastasia, and we know that the whole time, and the conman figures it out almost immediately.

Also as soon as this happen, Rasputin - who is a zombie who lives in the floating rock realm of Limbo that is under the Romanov's palace (?) - gets his green jar back from his little bat friend who just..had it, and he vows to kill Anastasia, to "complete the curse against the Romanovs." For whatever reason he is still so mad about whatever that was.

These aren't spoilers. Again, the pacing is such that the movie eagerly spoils its own mysteries almost immediately. Rasputin just knows Anastasia is Anastasia and immediately sends his demons to go blow up a train with her inside it.

I'm not going to give you the actual history of the Russian Revolution, because if you know, you know, and if you don't, you don't care. But suffice it to say, none of this is remotely true to the actual history of anything, besides "Rasputin sucked" and "Communists turned Russia into the Soviet Union."

There isn't even any mention of World War I, here. And that's kind of shocking, for any story supposedly set in Russia and France, from 1916 to 1926.

Why didn't they just set this in a fantasy universe? What does randomly referencing actual historical stuff from only 70-odd years before this movie was made add to this weird story? A weird story, by the way, based on an actual grift that various people have been attempting for decades.

It's so weird and distracting. Sure, 8 year olds won't care. But why are we teaching 8 year olds that Rasputin was an evil wizard who destroyed the sexy, benevolent autocrats of Russia? That the Communists of that era themselves were doing big musical numbers about how they really wish Anastasia would come back and be their queen? What the hell is this? Why would you do this? It's like dated pro-Romanov propaganda for Western audiences, and...why? WHY, Don Bluth?? Why did you do this?

Again, if it was all fantasy, whatever. It's still problematic as romanticized royalist crap that teaches unhelpful lessons to middle class children who live in egalitarian democracies. But imagining what it would be like to be a little princess is fun sometimes, in proportion. But when your princess is part of a real royal family that was so awful all anyone under them could agree on was that they had to be brutally eliminated, and you show the alternative to their rule being icky gross Actual Communism, that's getting weird with it. And Rasputin was only responsible for the downfall of the Romanovs because they wouldn't stop letting him be defacto prime minister, and everyone hated him even more than they hated the Romanovs. He and they were on 100% the same page, and that's why they both got murdered! Why is Rasputin getting blamed in this story for everything? Again, Bluth - why did you do this? It doesn't make any sense!

Just set it in Fakeystania and give everyone similar-sounding names. Plus if you do that, then you don't have to have a plot that keeps tying itself into weird confusing knots to work in the actual real geography and reputation-laundering of thr real-life shit people you've inexplicably decided this needs to keep. Basing this movie on "real" events makes it WORSE than it would be if you hadn't.

Again. Why? You could have done anything. Why did you choose this?

...And why did you let Hank Azaria improv unfunny Yakov Smirnoff shit as the little bat character? It's unbearable. What child in 1997 was going to be impressed by references to a guy who arguably was never that funny in the first place, and also stopped doing that almost ten years earlier?

WHY, Don Bluth?

What the hell is this?

It did well financially and critically, so I guess it doesn't matter. Though how that happened I do not understand, because it's okay but nothing special and the story is very weird. But I'm sure a lot of you have fond nostalgia for it, and I'm not taking that away from you. I like Disney's Hunchback, and a lot of even Disney fans think that one is dark and uneven and weird and an inexplicable choice for an adaptation in the first place.

I guess I'm just more politically inclined to sympathize with a deformed lonely Romani man who has been abused by the Church, than a beautiful white woman descended from royalty having all her expensive dreams come true.

(I was going to end this with a Yakov Smirnoff-style joke, but...god. No. Not even he does that shit anymore. Ugh).

[gokitetour]

The top 9 fantastic things to do in Hong Kong

A treasure trove of wonderful experiences awaits in Hong Kong's vibrant metropolis, elegantly mixing the charm of modernity with a rich tapestry of cultural history. From famous skylines to exquisite cultural enclaves, the city welcomes visitors on an amazing voyage. The towering silhouette of Victoria Peak, which offers panoramic vistas, sets the tone for a captivating exploration of this bust. Taking the iconic Star Ferry, a time-honoured vessel, not only delivers a magnificent trip over Victoria Harbour but also an insight into the city's rich nautical past. Lantau Island, with its calm Po Lin Monastery and Tian Tan Buddha, provides a peaceful respite from the city, while Hong Kong Disneyland brings the fantasy of fairy tales to life, enthralling tourists of all ages.

The Temple Street Night Market changes the cityscape as the sun sets into a bustling display of lights, local food, and dynamic street performers. The Avenue of Stars along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront pays tribute to Hong Kong's film past, culminating in the brilliant Symphony of Lights, a nightly spectacle that exhibits the city's vitality and glamor. Hong Kong develops as a complex destination where innovation and tradition harmoniously collide, delivering an exciting adventure for every guest.

Here are some fantastic things to do in Hong Kong

1. Victoria Peak: Panoramic Views Above the Cityscape: Ascend to the top of Victoria Peak for a stunning view of Hong Kong's skyline. The Peak Tram ride itself is an adventure, but the true treat comes at the top. The panoramic views of skyscrapers, Victoria Harbour, and the surrounding islands provide an awe-inspiring picture, which is especially spectacular at night when the city lights come on.

2. Iconic Harbor Crossing by Star Ferry: Take a nostalgic ride over Victoria Harbour on the legendary Star Ferry. This brief yet spectacular journey connecting Hong Kong Island and Kowloon gives unsurpassed views of the city's skyline. The Star Ferry gives a classic Hong Kong experience that smoothly integrates day and night crossings.

3. Lantau Island and the Tian Tan Buddha: Relaxing Getaways: Visit Lantau Island, which is home to the tranquil Po Lin Monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha. Ascending the 268 steps to the Buddha statue is a gratifying experience that provides not only a personal encounter with this huge bronze figure but also beautiful views of the verdant surroundings that surround Ngong Ping.

4. Hong Kong Disneyland: A Magical Adventure for the Whole Family: Hong Kong Disneyland's enchanted kingdoms call for a taste of enchantment. This theme park caters to tourists of all ages with famous Disney characters and exhilarating attractions. The nightly fireworks display above Sleeping Beauty Castle adds a magical touch to the experience, making it a must-see family attraction.

5. Temple Street Night Market: Exciting Nightlife and Delicious Local Cuisine: Temple Street Night Market comes alive as the sun sets with a lively exhibition of local culture. Stroll through the crowded streets, which are festooned with bright lights and exciting street performers. The market is packed with vendors offering everything from souvenirs to scrumptious street food, giving visitors a genuine experience of Hong Kong's nightlife and gastronomic pleasures.

6. Avenue of Stars: A Celestial Film Industry Tribute: The Avenue of Stars, located along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, pays tribute to Hong Kong's movie past. Stroll down the waterfront promenade, which is lined with sculptures of famous actors, and see the Symphony of Lights display, a nightly spectacular in which buildings light up in synchronization, producing a breathtaking visual extravaganza against the backdrop of Victoria Harbour.

7. Immersive Cultural Exploration at the Hong Kong Museum of History: The Hong Kong Museum of the Past is a great place to learn about Hong Kong's rich past. The museum offers a comprehensive trip through the city's history, with everything from ancient antiquities to interactive exhibitions. Learn about the development of Hong Kong's culture, society, and economy, making it a perfect visit for history buffs.

8. Wong Tai Sin Temple: Spiritual Peace in the City: Wong Tai Sin Temple is a spiritual haven in the midst of the city. This bright and elegant temple, dedicated to the Taoist god Wong Tai Sin, encourages tourists to explore its gorgeous architecture, participate in ancient ceremonies, and seek counsel from Kau Cim, a type of Chinese fortune-telling.

9. Symphony of Lights: A Glittering Nighttime Show: The Symphony of Lights, a nightly multimedia spectacle that fills the skyline with lights, lasers, and music, is the perfect way to end your Hong Kong vacation. This coordinated performance, best visible from the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, incorporates several of Hong Kong's main skyscrapers, producing a captivating symph

 Hong Kong is a lively patchwork of cultural riches and technological marvels, providing visitors with a variety of amazing experiences. From the dizzying heights of Victoria Peak, where the cityscape unfolds like a gleaming diamond, to the bustling marketplaces of Mong Kok, every aspect of Hong Kong begs to be explored. Hong Kong Disneyland provides a fantastic vacation for adventure seekers, merging imagination and enjoyment for guests of all ages. The stunning Symphony of Lights show fills the skyline, showcasing the city's throbbing life.

Indulge your taste buds in Hong Kong's gastronomic wonderland, where dim sum delights and delectable street delicacies beckon. Stroll along the gorgeous Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, which offers postcard-worthy vistas of Victoria Harbour and the city skyline. Accessing cultural jewels such as the Wong Tai Sin Temple or the old Man Mo Temple becomes a smooth excursion with efficient public transit. Don't miss out on exploring the vibrant areas of Central and Sheung Wan, where tradition and modernity coexist together. Obtaining a Hong Kong tourist visa from India is a simple process that allows for easy access to this exciting location. Set out on a voyage packed with breathtaking views and tasty sensations.

[ncisfranchise-source]

Aim for excellence — Brown exellence,” actor-producer Wilmer Valderrama told this year’s graduates of the National Hispanic Media Coalition‘s Series Scriptwriters Program as the eight-week intensive came to an end earlier this week.

Valderamma, the “NCIS” and “That ’70s Show” star, is a multihyphenate, activist and entrepreneur and a member of NHMC’s Visionary Alliance of entertainment industry figures who support the organization in Hollywood. He addressed the 10 participants in the TV and film writing program that includes virtual instruction, networking and mentoring opportunities. NHMC has run the Series Scriptwriters writer development program for more than 20 years.

“The writers in the program are an answer to the need to increase Latino representation in our writers rooms and make sure we are telling our own stories,” Valderrama told the group on Dec. 19 via video conference. “As we become the majority as the audience, consumers and storytellers, it is more vital than ever that we are committed to uplifting and supporting new voices.”

Participants in the NHMC program have gone to work on series and pilots for streamers including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu and Max and for such studios as NBCUniversal and Paramount. Valderrama acknowledged that the graduates face an uphill climb as they build their careers. He emphasized that every step they take forward as creators is meaningful for past, present and future generations.

“There will come a time when you’ll feel like the only Brown writer in the room. Instead of it being daunting, think of it as an opportunity to be bold,” Valderrama urged. “The Latino revolution will come in the form of content. Immortalize what you want, the community deserves it. Make sure the leading roles in your stories look like you — this is a love letter to your parents and grandparents. Aim for excellence. Brown excellence.”

This year’s NHMC Series Scriptwriters Program graduates are:

Diego Lanao (New York): “The Right One Alive,” pilot, 2022 Latinx List Hayley Muñoz (McAllen, Texas): Staff writer, CW’s “Nancy Drew” Jeanette Dilone (New York): Short films, “Hoar” (2022); “Rizo” (2020); “Return” (2017) K. Broch (West Michigan): Blogger, makeup artist, podcast host, “She Said…Let’s!” Natalie Wood (Texas): Coordinator, Red Hour Films; support staff, “Severance,” “Chicago Fire” Paloma Lamb (Pasadena, Calif.): Writers assistant, “Our Flag Means Death,” “Marvel’s Echo��� Ruben Mendive (Chicago): Participant, Hillman Grad Mentorship Lap, Outfest Screenwriting Lab; podcast host, “La Lista: A Latinx Writers Podcast.” Sofia Brown de Lopez (Los Angeles): Loyola Marymount University, B.A. in playwriting and screenwriting, 2019; short film “Gone” (2021) Victoria de la Concha (New York): Loyola Marymount University, M.F.A. in writing and producing, 2019 Zayda Exeliz (Los Angeles): Creative content manager, Universal Pictures

Pictured from top left: Mentor Geoff Harris, Wilmer Valderrama, mentor Omaira Galarza and participants Natalie Wood, Sofia Brown de Lopez, Zayda Exeliz, Jeanette Dilone, Victoria de la Concha, K. Broch, Diego Lanao, Ruben Mendive, Hayley Muñoz and Paloma Lamb

[programmatic-marketing-hub]

Decoding CTV Ad Fraud for Businesses and Startups: Unraveling the Web of Deception

CTV Ad Fraud

Connected TV (CTV) has quickly become an effective tool for reaching audiences online, yet like any digital platform it remains vulnerable to ad fraud. To effectively address this problem it's vital that we examine the tactics employed by fraudsters as well as possible solutions - let's embark on an exploratory journey into CTV ad fraud!

CTV Ad Fraud and Its Pervasive Techniques

CTV Ad Fraud may appear complicated at first glance, yet it essentially shares similarities with fraud practices in digital advertising more generally. When considering why is CTV susceptible to fraud? Part of it lies in its perceived security compared to desktop and mobile media outlets; this perception stems from believing streaming TV inventory is relatively limited when in reality it's abundant compared to these mediums. But this belief couldn't be further from reality!

Fraudsters have now penetrated the cable television landscape and are using various techniques to falsify attributions. Let's examine one such method - spoofing.

Spoofing as the Main method of CTV Ad Fraud

Spoofing is a deceptive practice where fraudulent activity is disguised as legitimate. For television audiences, this usually means bad actors posing as genuine CTV viewers in order to siphon off advertising dollars. IP spoofing is another technique commonly employed by fraudsters to conduct this deceitful practice: using IP addresses of other devices as proxy IP addresses they use IP spoofing techniques on computers in order to generate deceptive communications that pass off as legitimate engagement with content providers.

Device spoofing is another technique commonly seen in CTV ad fraud. This scheme involves malicious actors pretending to use different devices such as mobile phones, laptops or browsers when clicking through ads and forms; an unusually high click through rate from one device often serves as a telltale sign of fraudster activity - although fraudsters are adept at concealing their true devices so as to continue siphoning budgets without anyone knowing.

Publishers Face Technological Risks and Transparency Challenges

One factor exacerbating CTV ad fraud issues is publishers' lack of technological safeguards. Just as advertisers require advanced tools for combatting ad fraud, publishers need robust resources to detect and block fraudulent traffic - however this lack of preparedness compounds the issue, making it harder to gain insight into impressions that are being accrued.

Industry Examples and Their Probable Implications

CTV ad fraud has far-reaching ramifications. Legitimate advertisers may unwittingly funnel their budgets into fraudulent activities that waste resources while distorting marketing insights and altering campaign performance metrics - even industry giants can fall prey to it.

Hulu and Disney, among many other well-established entities, have experienced CTV ad fraud. At times, their advertising campaigns fell prey to fraudsters' schemes to fraudulently fake viewership figures on certain channels - an impressive reminder that no matter the reputation or market share of an entity is impervious to CTV ad fraud's challenges.

On the Road to Preventing CTV Ad Fraud

So how can the industry combat CTV ad fraud effectively? One effective solution lies in increasing bidstream transparency. Increased bidstream transparency provides advertisers and publishers an unobstructed view of the entire advertising ecosystem and can more quickly detect anomalies or potential fraudulent activities.

When developing over-the-top (OTT) and CTV advertising strategies, it is vital that you partner with reliable CTV suppliers. Your collaborators should be capable of supporting your marketing objectives while offering safeguards against ad fraud; 9MO stands out as an exceptional company in doing just this, employing cutting-edge technologies such as Human, Protective Media, and Double Verify which enable marketers to identify and eliminate CTV fraud while protecting budgets.

Overall: An Enormous Challenge Demanding Industry-Wide Vigilance

CTV ad fraud is a complex issue requiring collective efforts by all industry members to effectively combat. Understanding the methods of fraudsters, acknowledging publisher shortcomings in terms of safeguards and prioritizing transparency are integral parts of this fight. By employing advanced technologies and selecting trustworthy partners, advertisers and publishers alike can work together towards mitigating its effects, leading to a safer advertising ecosystem that benefits all involved stakeholders.

Are you facing CTV Ad Fraud? Schedule your free consultation with us 9MediaOnline.com

[sophieakatz]

Thursday Thoughts: Becoming a Writer #2 – Playtime and Story Time

I mentioned before that among the Guys – the many colorful plastic toys which lived in my People House – were Disney characters. Disney still sells these sets of toys, around eight or ten characters from a specific movie or franchise together in a box. It’s a great way for a grown-up to make a child feel like they’ve received a ton of toys while only paying the price of one. I loved our Disney Guys. We had the cast of Winnie the Pooh, The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, 101 Dalmatians, and The Lion King. I remember we also had a Hercules, with one empty fist over his head where my mom had cut his sword off at the hilt. (The Hercules wielding a fish was allowed to keep his fearsome weapon.)

My parents were very hands-on with my siblings and me. I remember sitting on the floor with my mom, the Little Mermaid toys scattered on the hardwood between us, using the toys to act out the movie along with the soundtrack of the movie playing on the CD player. I can still hear my mom doing her best impression of King Triton’s deep voice. We played Dumbo together, too, even though we didn’t have any Dumbo toys; I had more than enough toy elephants, to the point where one of the elephants stood in for Timothy Mouse.

We didn’t watch much TV. My parents would generally limit us to a half hour of “screen time” a day. We listened to Disney stories much more often than we watched them. Our house was full of music and devoid of headphones; whatever we played, we listened and sang to it together. And then there were the Little Golden Books and the “book on tape” versions of Disney movies, which we would all read together.

When we did watch movies, we watched them together, and we talked about them. I don’t remember much from watching Cinderella as a child. It wasn’t one of my parents’ favorites, so we likely only watched it once or twice. The one thing I remember is the scene where the stepsisters rip up Cinderella’s dress, so she can’t go to the ball, and she runs into the backyard and cries. My mother turned to me then and said, “Cinderella could still go to the ball, even without the pretty dress, and the prince would still love her, because love isn’t about pretty dresses.” That’s stuck with me beyond any other memory of watching Disney movies.

When my parents didn’t have time to play with my siblings and me – when there were papers to grade, laundry to fold, or food to put on the table – they often sent us off on a mission: to put on a play. We would retreat to the bedroom and come up with the whole production. It was always something we’d seen or heard before – nursery rhymes like “Humpty Dumpty” and “Old McDonald,” a play we’d seen done on shows like Zoom or Blue’s Clues, or dancing along to the soundtrack of Seussical the Musical or whatever show was making the community theatre rounds at the time. We’d figure out all the details – who would play which character, who would be the narrator (usually me), what costumes or props we needed – and once we’d rehearsed, we would call in our parents to come see the show. One home video includes me at five or six years old telling the camera that “flash photography and video recording ARE allowed at this performance!”

When I became a Show Writer intern with Disney Live Entertainment, I found myself thinking about that home video a lot. Pre-show announcements were a recurring assignment in that role: “The show will begin in five minutes! Please turn off your electronic devices!” and the like. Clearly, at that young age, I had already been exposed to enough theatre to know that such announcements were an essential part of a production. And there I was, writing up those very announcements for the Garden Rocks concert series at Epcot, UP! A Great Bird Adventure at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and many, many more Disney Parks shows.

Which brings me to the second thing I’ve learned about how to be a writer – it’s vital to have opportunities to engage with storytelling. As many opportunities as possible, in as many forms as possible: reading, watching, singing, and playing. It’s equally important to have the opportunity to be the audience as it is to be the storyteller; re-telling the stories you’ve been told is a kind of learning. Being able to replicate how a story is told helps form an understanding of the building blocks of storytelling. This in turn leads to an understanding of how to manipulate these building blocks and make the craft your own. And it’s always a good time to encourage critical thinking – to not only see what’s out there but also talk about why it is the way it is and what could be done differently.

Formal education will come later. Playtime and story time are the writer’s first classrooms.