#by revisited all I did was change like two lines and adjust one colour

[mickidona]

Revisited an old El Dorado au.. nice open ended polyam potential with these three 👀

[artificialqueens]

Donatella (Taywhora) - Holtzmanns

read on ao3 | word count: 2924

George’s hand lingers on Tayce’s shoulder for a millisecond too long once he’s done adjusting his outfit, before he lets it drop to the side. There’s a tiny hint of disappointment that swirls in his chest upon the realization that he has to move on to another model, because the show is about to start any minute, and the last thing he wants to do is piss off the show director, who already has a vein throbbing along her forehead as she yells at the poor man fiddling with the lighting fixtures-

“Hey. Go ahead. I won’t take it personal,” Tayce murmurs, and the twinkle in his eyes lets George know that he’s absolutely taking the piss.

Nonetheless, he’s powerless to stop the upward curve of his own lips. “No?”

“Maybe a little.”

He swears he sees Tayce wink, but maybe that’s just the brightness of the fluorescents overhead.

A/N: Hi, I'm still alive, I swear. Life has been fun and also full to the brim of changes, though I'm trying my best to get back into the groove of writing again. Next chapter of vampire fic (and maybe level up) to be revisited soon for sure. In the meantime, enjoy this short and sweet oneshot and let me know what you think! Thank you Writ for betaing 💖

The final day of London Fashion Week tends to feel like the culmination of a week-long bender.

It sort of is, if the thin white lines of powder on blatant display on the dressing room tables are any indication. Not that George has gone near them, not today. Not when tonight’s the Versace show and he’s cut most of these garments and helped to sew at least two of them, and they’re going to be out on the runway in half an hour’s time. Grunt work is the opposite of glamorous when he’s hunched over a sewing machine at two in the morning, but it’s worth it at times like this, when he’s about to show his work with fucking Versace.

Well, not George’s own designs. Not yet. But he has to start somewhere, doesn’t he?

George tries not to wrinkle his nose when the model whose dress he’s pinning lights up a cigarette in between her fingers. Backstage at Fashion Week is never too strict when it comes to smoking, because hell, the big names would throw a fit. It does raise George’s blood pressure just a tad, though, when the ash that the model taps off of her cigarette falls just a little too close to the dress.

He refuses to have his creations ruined by accidental ignition.

It’s almost a relief from George to step away from her, moving onto the model beside her who’s not smoking, thank the heavens, except-

“I remember you!”

Oh, no.

Tayce, at least that’s what George thinks his name is, remains as gorgeous as he was during his fittings a few weeks back. Enough to make George’s carefully planned comebacks fall to the wayside, leaving his lungs empty because of the sharpness of Tayce’s jawline and the sparkle in his eyes. There’s something about Tayce that dries up any remnants of confidence swirling around in George’s system, enough so that he turns into a bloody schoolgirl with a crush.

Not that he has one. He’s at work, for God’s sake.

“I remember you too. Funny how memory works, isn’t it?”

Shy George can sometimes get snarky. Not in a mean way, though. He hopes.

Luckily, Tayce doesn’t seem very bothered. In fact, his smile grows bigger as George kneels down, fiddling with the sides of the trousers he’s got on for the show. The blue fabric isn’t falling quite right, but maybe George can take them in a smidge with a few pins so that they’re more streamlined-

“You’re cute when you’re focused with a handful of pins in your mouth,” Tayce’s wry voice distracts George from the fabric in his hands, and he nearly nicks himself in the process.

He curses internally, not only because of the poke on his finger but also because he probably looks right clumsy in front of Tayce. Model Tayce who knows he’s the shit, if the way he stomps down the runway is any indication, the very one who has an amused look on his face due to George’s internal turmoil.

“Are you trying to make yourself late for the runway?” George asks, but he can’t be stern the way he wants to, not when Tayce is so ridiculously charming and looking at him like he’s a challenge he wants to solve.

Tayce lets out a scoff. “Please. We both know these shindigs never start on time. My afternoon show was forty five minutes late and I wasn’t even the last one to show up.”

George snorts as he gathers the fabric once more. “Oh right, you were second last, weren’t you?”

“The cheek!” Tayce exclaims, crossing his arms, and George only has to shoot eyes in his direction for him to return to his original position, enough so that the fabric falls properly. “I’m on time, everyone else is simply early. Isn’t that the saying?”

George pauses. “Isn’t that from The Princess Diaries ?”

“So what?” Tayce shrugs. “I may have watched that movie but you have too, right? Recognized it and all.”

“Course I did. You don’t take me for someone with shit taste in movies, do you?” George asks as he gets back to his feet, scanning his gaze down Tayce’s torso to make sure his shirt is falling properly, nothing more.

He can feel Tayce’s gaze on him in return and it almost wants to keep him from looking up, because if he does then Tayce is surely going to notice when his cheeks inevitably redden.

Better to focus. Since he’s at work and all.

George barely taps on Tayce’s shoulder, a cue for him to turn around and Tayce readily does so without question, pushing his shoulders back. It’s as if Tayce already knows what George is looking for, anticipating his moves before he has the chance to make them clear. Nothing different from what Tayce would do with any other stylist responsible for checking his garments before a show, but it still feels as if Tayce is paying attention. Noticing George’s little routine.

It’s enough to make his heart beat just a little bit faster.

George’s hand lingers on Tayce’s shoulder for a millisecond too long once he’s done adjusting his outfit, before he lets it drop to the side. There’s a tiny hint of disappointment that swirls in his chest upon the realization that he has to move on to another model, because the show is about to start any minute, and the last thing he wants to do is piss off the show director, who already has a vein throbbing along her forehead as she yells at the poor man fiddling with the lighting fixtures-

“Hey. Go ahead. I won’t take it personal,” Tayce murmurs, and the twinkle in his eyes lets George know that he’s absolutely taking the piss.

Nonetheless, he’s powerless to stop the upward curve of his own lips. “No?”

“Maybe a little.”

He swears he sees Tayce wink, but maybe that’s just the brightness of the fluorescents overhead.

George can feel Tayce’s eyes on him as he moves on to the next few models, taking a fraction of the time because really, they don’t need that detailed of a onceover. It’s all for the best because the crowd is quieting on the other side of the curtains and the lights are bright enough to make George squint, even while backstage, as the line of models head out one after another.

Being in the audience for a show is night and day from actually working backstage - it’s as if the curtains dull all of the yelling, the quick-changes, the utter chaos that threatens to spill out onto the stage itself. Once the show starts George runs back and forth, darting between models to help them into their next looks, the rich colours draped along their figures looking straight out of an oil painting, one that he’s lucky to have helped to create. He almost doesn’t notice when he reaches Tayce once more, too caught up with the blueprints of all of the looks in his head until he feels a flick against his shoulder.

“Mighty brave, tugging on my clothes before even saying hello,” Tayce grins, somehow cool as a cucumber while shimmying into the blazer that George holds out for him, the patterns on the sleeves catching in the light.

George has to ignore the slight stammer that catches his tongue, hoping the chaos of the show is enough that Tayce doesn’t either. “I don’t see you complaining about it.”

“Who says I’m complaining?” Tayce throws back, holding George’s gaze before tilting his head to the side, “you’re better than old Muriel over there.”

George has to hold in a laugh as he follows Tayce’s gaze. The older stylist he’s pointing to has been on the scene for decades upon decades, working with the likes of Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, and someone George could really learn from, though he’s learned to keep his distance. Probably for the best, because as George watches, she barks at the model whose dress she’s adjusting and passes her the sandwich in her grip so that she can use both of her hands for the job.

Tayce makes a face. “So pushy. And I swear, she wears the same perfume as my nan. Can’t forget the scent of Guerlain Shalimar.”

“Muriel’s bringing back those memories, then?” George asks, snorting when Tayce lets out a shudder.

“Just imagine Muriel as your nan. She wouldn’t feed you Sunday roast until she’d gotten you in cute little outfits with lace and petticoats, all the while threatening to put out her cigarette on your arm if you moved even a centimetre.”

“What an upbringing,” George whistles as he gives Tayce a onceover. “There. Good to go. Back to your place in line, then.”

Tayce blows a kiss, and George swears it’s for the sole purpose of making his face flush beet red, if Tayce’s delighted snicker as he walks away is any indication.

George finds himself peeking over at the curtains leading to the edge of the runway more than once as he’s running around backstage between the clothing racks and all the models, travel sewing kit in hand. Maybe it’s a bit pathetic to keep a constant eye out for Tayce every time he steps off the runway, but George can’t help it. Not when Tayce manages to catch his eye right back every single time.

Tayce sidles up to George once the show’s over and he’s packing up the clothes for travel, taking extra care of the ones he’s helped to put together. No matter how many collections he’s participated in, endless hours of painstaking work, it somehow still feels special. The excitement of it all hasn’t quite worn off just yet. George reaches for a garment bag but Tayce plucks it from the rack before he can, unzipping it so that George can stuff in the dress that’s currently draped across his arms.

Tayce grabs another bag and does the same thing, and it makes George pause for a second, look over towards him. “Don’t you have the afterparty to go to?”

George remembers his first Fashion Week back when he was a student, when the afterparties were glitz and glam and miles away from the clubs near Worksop. All the celebrities and the models and the designers that he would try to network with while they were drunk off their tits, so it would never get too far, anyway. Still, though, it felt almost thrilling.

Now, though, it feels like the novelty has worn off. The seventy-hour work week that is required during London Fashion Week, combined with very little sleep, means that the first thing George wants to do after helping with the pack up is go back to his flat and crash.

“I came here to ask you the same thing,” Tayce counters, rocking on his feet and not looking tired in the least.

George, though, shakes his head. “Me? Nah. I’m knackered.”

“Oh, c’mon,” Tayce gives him a look. “It’s the last day. What else are you up to tomorrow, anyway? You can sleep in, can’t you?”

“I can also sleep now,” George shrugs, and the dramatic sigh that Tayce lets out makes him grin.

It’s sort of nice to feel wanted, almost.

And so George acquiesces, because the possibility of spending more time with Tayce, with Tayce even wanting to spend time with him, is enough to set off a current in his veins and wake him up despite the late hour. “Fine. I’ll only come for a little bit, though. Then it’s bedtime for me.”

The triumphant yell out of Tayce’s mouth makes it worth it, even as Muriel shoots them a dirty look.

Sleep is overrated, George has decided.

It doesn’t come close to the alternative, his current reality where Tayce is tipping back a shot as the chains around his neck catch on the pulsing lights overhead. It’s Tayce’s second one in a row without so much as a wince, and maybe it’s because the bar has watered down the drinks the closer the clock gets to midnight, but it’s hard for George to look away nonetheless.

Tayce doesn’t call him out on it but instead grabs his hand with a glint in his eye, as if the attention is pure energy that charges his system. George swears he feels the electricity through their connected palms.

The way Tayce dances parallels his runway walk - he’s determined with his movements while simultaneously the mirror image of a gazelle getting used to its long limbs as he throws his arms up. Not that it’s a bad look on Tayce, not in the least. Maybe it’s Tayce’s confidence, or maybe it’s just the way George has fallen in too deep, but it works on him.

Tayce tugs on the corner of his shirt before he spins in place, his yell barely audible over the music. “Dance floors aren’t made for standing like a statue. C’mon, then.”

George can accept the fact that Tayce won’t remember tonight with his inevitable hangover tomorrow anyway, while simultaneously wanting to keep himself from looking like an idiot. “I don’t dance.”

“Sure you do,” Tayce chirps, lifting their intertwined hands as if they’re ballroom partners, but pauses when George lets out a squeak. “Wait. Babe, you’re stiffer than Dua Lipa attempting an eight count.”

“I told you!” George huffs, but the embarrassment he expects to feel doesn’t heat his cheeks up, because Tayce is too busy flinging his own limbs around in some sort of interpretation of the music.

It’s almost refreshing, the way Tayce doesn’t seem to care about what other people think, how he almost feeds off of the attention because none of it is ever negative. Even if it was, George isn’t sure that Tayce would ever let any of it tear him down, because he seems more the type to let it roll off of him without so much as a glance over.

It’s not until the remix overhead blends in some Gaga that George feels inclined to sing along, move his hips and his arms a little more because he’s self conscious, yes, but he also has an appreciation for the finer artists in life. He doesn’t miss the way Tayce’s face lights up, the whoop he lets out audible over the music before he grabs both of George’s hands once more as he dances.

“Atta boy!”

George wants to swear that the crowdedness of the dance floor is responsible for how close he’s getting to Tayce, because he doesn’t remember taking a step but Tayce is close enough that George can see the glitter on his cheekbones, the one hair curl swooping onto his forehead. It has to be the crowd that’s pushing them together for sure, enough that Tayce’s fingers are trailing down his biceps and along his waist and grabbing onto his belt loops to tug him in closer.

George lifts his eyebrows up in question, ignoring the way his heart is pounding and the racing thoughts in his head, because if he focuses too much on them he’s going to lose his mind. So instead he watches the way Tayce nods, biting his lip and the subtle waft of cologne that hits him when Tayce wraps his arms around his neck makes his eyes flutter.

Tayce kisses the same way that he moves on the dance floor - unabashed, taking, enough to leave George breathless and gasping, but who needs to come up for air when Tayce invades all of his senses so deliciously? George rakes his nails along the silk on Tayce’s back, and Tayce’s hiss against his mouth is intoxicating, muddying his thoughts more so than the alcohol flowing through his veins.

Tayce’s eyes are unfocused, dazed when they pull apart and it’s the first time George has seen him look anything less than in control. “Fucking hell.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” George can’t help the way his pitch rises in concern as he nearly has to yell over the music, because what if Tayce is more disgusted than anything-

“You idiot,” Tayce snorts, pulling him closer again with a hand on his waist, and George can feel the smile on his lips when they kiss. “What do you think?”

“Just checking,” George mumbles sheepishly, though the chagrin fades when Tayce pulls their hips up against each other and he can feel… oh.

A good thing, then.

“Happy end to Fashion Week, indeed,” George gets out, leaning in closer to Tayce, but it’s short lived when Tayce pulls back, and George has to stop himself from pouting.

Tayce looks entirely too gleeful as his fingers gather in the hair on the nape of George’s neck. “Shall we end it with a bang, then?”

“Oh my god,” George mutters, shaking his head, and it only exacerbates Tayce’s snickering. “Is that really how you get others into bed with you?”

“Is it working?” Tayce asks, and George pauses, his eyes catching on the curve of Tayce’s eyebrow, the sheen of his skin.

As if his answer would be anything else.

So George intertwines their hands, gives a little tug to pull them off of the dance floor, and snorts when Tayce lets out a whoop. Tayce is ridiculous yet somehow suave and hot all at once, a puzzle  that George hasn’t quite solved.

Though with their fingers linked as they head out the back door of the club, George is looking forward to getting the chance to do so.

[of-muppets-and-men]

A While...

It was cold. So, so cold.

Qrow laid languid upon the smooth stone floor, wondering where he was and how he’d gotten here. With eyelids growing heavier by the second, he weakly scanned the room for any clue as to what was going on. To his right, he saw his daughter, Ruby. And his niece, Yang, along with all of their friends behind them. Blake, The Schnee girl, Oscar, Jaune, the noisy redhead and her quiet boyfriend… 

What didn’t make sense, however, was that they were crying. Ruby kept repeating a handful of lines he couldn’t hear all that well. Stay with me and you’re gonna be okay, were the most common. Her voice was off, like she was speaking underwater, every syllable drowning out into muffled noise. Weiss and Blake stood beside their teammates, consoling them for whatever reason.

And then it hit him.

A sudden and horrible twinge of pain in his gut. Or where his gut should’ve been…

Qrow’s weary eyes travelled south to see a fresh, gaping hole in his torso. With a limp motion of his left hand, Qrow traipsed his fingers through the brutal wound. He felt the moisture and heat of his ichor; this was definitely not a dream. His hand slumped back to side, slapping against the hard stone. The wet sensation under Qrow’s palm; more blood, too much in fact. It took a moment for him to realize…

I’m dying, The thought rang out in his mind.

Even though his ears were failing, Qrow could still make out the low sobs of the people around him. Though the ones that shook him the most were Ruby’s. The veteran huntsman watched helplessly as his daughter called his name, begging him to his eyes open. Ruby shook him as gently as possible, but he could no longer feel her touch. Qrow’s vermilion eyes darkened as he stared one last time at his child who looked so much like the woman he loved.

And with a final breath, he spoke: “I love you, Ruby.”

He wasn’t even sure if it was out loud, but he hoped it had been as he faded into nothingness.

No Dad…  Please don’t go…  Don’t leave me…

His daughter’s words echoed throughout the endless sea of black he fell through. His body felt light, lighter than it had been in decades. The pain had all but disappeared; Qrow closed his eyes as he slipped further into the abyss. This isn’t so bad, he thought to himself. 

As quickly as his life had come to close, he felt warmth encompass him once more. Feeling the heat against his brow, Qrow slowly opened his eyes to see a world of golden light. Its radiance stung so with a free hand, the huntsman sheltered his gaze. With a bit of time, he adjusted and stared wildly into this new place he found himself stood in. 

Caught up in his surroundings, he failed to realize the pain in his chest was gone. Qrow frantically rubbed at his blazer, to find no wound whatsoever, as if it had never happened.

“What the hell...”

“What’s wrong, Beanstalk? It’s not like you to look so lost.” a voice came from behind him.

Qrow froze in place. He knew that voice, but it couldn’t be…

Slowly, the man swivelled around to see if he was right. And he was. The love of his life looked back at him, as beautiful as the day he lost her. Qrow stood speechless, mouth agape, unable to find even the simplest thing to say. The Huntsman’s knuckles shivered in disbelief, all the while Summer just continued to smile. Her mirror-like gaze laid waste to Qrow’s confidence, as it had since the first day they met.

“Well? Where’s my kiss?” She said snidely, breaking the silence.

His legs moved on their own. First a walk into a run then a run into a sprint. His wife did the same until she was close enough to endearingly leap into his arms. With a spin and a twirl, the two embraced for the first time in over a decade. Qrow took in her heat, her presence and best of all, her lips. Soft and tender, just like he remembered. Summer rummaged her fingers through his thick, feathery locks, recalling every strand; greying as they may be. Qrow slumped to his knees, Summer still pulled to his chest. The only reason they pulled away from each other’s grasp was to catch their breath.

They’d dreamt of this ever since she left, never to be seen again. Emotions from years past reared their heads: Guilt, Regret, Grief… Before he knew, Qrow had begun to cry. Summer’s digits clutched his cheeks, her thumbs wiping away tears.

“Summer… I… Gods I…” Qrow stammered, too overjoyed to formulate anything coherent.

Lucky for him, Summer knew what he was trying to convey. 

Pressing her forehead to his, “I know… I missed you, too.”

Overwhelmed by his reunion with Summer, Qrow sprawled out onto the invisible floor. Summer followed suit, laying parallel beside him. The little woman stared deviously at her husband’s attire; a very welcome change to the drab rags her wore before.

“I like the new look.” She said while stroking his vest.

A scoff escaped Qrow’s chest. But his uplifted demeanor didn’t last. Summer watched as his face shifted to a familiar scowl.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Sum… If I’m here with you then that means I’m...”

“Dead? Yes. You are.”

“How?”

“You shielded Ruby from Salem’s black magic… Her blonde friend, Jaune I think was his name, tried to help you but it was too late...”

A deep, shaky breath left him following his wife’s explanation. Qrow’s mind spun into every prominent trail of thought. He’d always longed to see Summer again, but never did he think it would be like this. He was dead, but at least Ruby was safe. Although even that bit of optimism turned to poison his mind. Ruby, his pride and joy, was alive but now, he’d left her alone…

Beset by the anguish of having to leave his daughter behind, Qrow’s face turned away from Summer’s. Well attuned to her husband’s mood, Summer sat up and positioned herself by his head. A little shift and Qrow’s head was resting on her thigh, his sullen eyes still lingering with regret.

Stroking her hand across his cheek, Summer spoke, “Not enjoying my company, Mr. Branwen?”

“Hmph, It’s not that… I’m worried about Ruby. She’s on her own now…”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Summer retorted, “She still has Yang, Tai and the rest of her friends.”

“But I should’v-”

“Oh Qrow, don’t do that. This isn’t your fault. You chose her life over yours, a decision any parent would make. If you died doing something so noble than so be it. Besides, it’ll be nice to have someone to wait with me. C’mon, there’s something I want to show you.”

Qrow felt his beloved suddenly stand up, letting his head thud against the floor. Naturally, rather than apologizing, Summer pointed and laughed instead. It annoyed him, but ultimately let it slide; still the same old brat she always was. The huntsman sat up when Summer offered a hand, letting him tower above once more. With a delicate tug of his arm, Summer coaxed her husband to follow.

“This way.”

A low grumble in reply.

Qrow steadily walked behind her, minding his gait as to not step on her heels. It had been so long since they’d stood side by side, so her tiny silhouette surprised him a touch. He found it tempting to tease her vertically challenged self, but decided it wasn’t worth the asskicking it would bring. So he set her vermilion eyes to the golden scenery around them.

“What is this place?” he asked in earnest.

“A realm between reality and the afterlife,” Summer answered, “Or at least that’s what Oz told me.”

“You met Oz?”

“Just once. Not too long ago actually. I think he was just as surprised to see me as I him.” Summer recounted.

“Did he say anything?”

“No, not really. Just apologized to me and then disappeared after a few minutes. Must’ve reincarnated.”

The two continued to walk in uncomfortable silence. It was difficult to think the man they both trusted used them as a means to an end. How both of them had become casualties of his war. Qrow watched as Summer bow her head as her strides slowed. In a brief fit of speed, she saw her husband pull up beside and take her hand in his own. His rough mitts sprawled to intertwine with hers; silver met red as they grinned at one another. But at last, they reached the place Summer had been so eager to show.

“We’re here.”

“And where is here?”

“Watch this…” Summer said as half-heartedly pulled from his grip.

Puzzled, Qrow looked on as Summer stood still in a place that didn’t look all that different from everywhere else. With a single wave of her hand, the golden sky dissipated and exploded into colour, revealing a place he’d never thought he’d see again.

Thick tree brush and rolling hills leading to a cliff’s edge overlooking an all too familiar island.

“Patch…” Qrow breathed as he stared out beyond the horizon.

“Like it? I found this ages ago. It’s kinda like a window into the real world, though i’m not sure why it’s here.”

“But why here specifically?”

“I thought you’d like to revisit our old makeout spot…” Summer purred coyly.

Qrow blushed, his cheeks nearly as red as his eyes, while Summer relished in her talent for teasing him. Face still flush, she pulled him toward the precipice; a favourite spot of theirs in life. They sat side by side, Qrow traipsing an arm over her shoulder. She in turn wrapped an arm around his waist, then adjusted her bangs with her free hand. The reunited lovers nuzzled their heads together as they watched Patch’s sunrise, it’s majesty looming over the tiny isle.

“I love you, Summer.”

“I love you too, Qrow.”

“Do you think Ruby will forgive us for leaving?”

“I don’t know… but let’s sit here for a while and find out.”

Decades Later

Ruby Rose.

A Huntress. A Hero. Slayer of Evil and Bringer of Hope.

Now laid on her deathbed after years of devoting her life, surrounded by her family. A beloved wife, mother of two and grandmother of four soon to be five. Her children and grandchildren watched on as she took in their faces one last time. Unlike the many before her, Ruby’s age has finall caught up with her.

She’d lost so much… Friends, Her mother, Her father, Her team. But she goes to them now without a drop of fear, knowing she’d done her best. 

Slowly, it all fades to black as her long and storied life comes to an end.

She can feel herself pass through the veil, shrouded in darkness. Only to see a light, just as many others had described.

Ruby awakes to a world wreathed in golden light, her body light as it had been in her youth. Confused, her eyes dart around, searching for a sign for… anything.

That is when she sees them.

A man and woman standing side by side, hand in hand. Ruby squints to see who they are and is welcomed by the faces of her parents.

She runs, she sprints and leaps into their arms. Tears stream down all their faces; a moment Qrow and Summer had diligently waited for.

And even without words, Qrow knew the answer to his question.

[lmterm1project]

Updating Photobook Design (InDesign)

Here, I’m have updated my photobook design where I can present a certain part of the work I have creating from my photography lessons. These screenshots are in the order that I created them so I can show on how I decided on different decisions I made along the way.

The screenshot below was from when I first launched InDesign so I was just learning on how to use the tools. I started by creating a shape which I did by using the ‘rectangle frame tool’ where I drew the square shown below. To make sure it was a square I held down ‘shift’ which will make sure that it is an equal rectangle so all the sides are the same size. While still clicked onto the shape I just drew I went into ‘file’ and then ‘place’. I found the work that I wanted to present (which isn't a screenshot as you can’t use them as they aren't good quality). It then places that piece of work and when you hover your mouse over the top of the shape there is a circular shape that appears which you can use to adjust the image inside the shape you just created. To create a triangle, there are a couple of ways you can use. One being where you can use the ‘pen tool’ to draw the shape by hand where you just connect the dots up. Another being where you can create triangle or rectangle and then use the ‘pen tool’ again and drawing a line to half it. You would then delate one of the sides and you are left with a rectangle. I found that the second method was a lot easier to get an accurate triangle whereas when you do it by hand it might not be exactly lined up. After this practise with the tools I then got rid of this and started thinking of ideas to create some interesting designs. 

At the time, I wasn't fully set on what work I was going to use as I knew I was only going to keep to a certain lot of work. I wasn't going to mix different lots of work in this design because I feel it would look more messy and unprofessional. Below, I chose to use the ‘pencil tool’ where I had to keep my hand quite still get an effective line. Although there was nothing wrong with what I drew below, I didn't want to use this as I didn't really have any ideas on how to make it look more appealing as if I had left it like this it would have been quite boring. I also hadn't fully decided on what work I was going to use. 

Once, I had looked through all my previous work I decided the most successful work was the glitch work where there was lots of colours used in this. I then thought about what colour I could use with this work as I was going to use black and another colour. But I realised that as there are some many different colours within the work I produced that I don't really need a colour. I decided to just use the white from the page and add black into the piece as well. 

Below, I am creating my first two pages of the book. I didn't want to create a front page at this time because I wanted to get an idea of what the actually book is gong to look like inside first so I can then work on a front cover from what the inside looks like. I also think the cover is a big part as that's what you see first so it needs to look effective. I have drawn a triangle with the ‘pen tool’ which I have placed at the side of the right page. I then added this work and arranged it like this. I placed it so there was a bit on negative space shown from the work. This then doesn't overcrowd the piece and shows another part of the work. I then added a black background using the ‘rectangle tool’. I wanted to have another rectangle on the other page. 

I then found that I wanted to add something to cover the white negative background that I wasn't sure that the rectangle was going to work well there. However, at this time I tried to arrange these five squares are were exactly the same size. I tried this layout where it was mimicking the triangle on the page on the right. 

Below, I then placed the squares in this pattern where I had nothing against the look but I still wanted to experiment some more layouts. 

I then decided to more the rectangle to the other side where it now joins the other black section. Now, the black goes over the page to the other side. When I reached on different Zine design I found quite a few design did this so I did it too. I think it looks more interesting as it doesn't stop like a normal book would. I then moved the squares so that it was almost creating an arrow pointing back at the other triangle. 

In the end, I chose this layout. However I also found that I wanted to change the work I was presenting which I think was because I had an idea for another page where I was going to use that work. I chose this work where I decided that the best option to present it was to show sections of the work in the small squares and the whole piece in the triangle. I think decided to keep this page like it is showing below. After doing this page, I decided that I wanted the theme of this book to be triangles along the colour scheme of black, white and the colour work. Before I started doing this book, I wanted there to be a theme so then the pages relate to each other a bit more. 

These are now a new set of two pages. I have chose the image I was going use on the previous. I started by creating two rectangles which I placed on either side of the pages. I then created two triangles which I drew with the ‘pen tool’ and I lined them up to realise that drawing them by hand wasn't a good idea as they are different sizes. 

I thought that it wouldn't matter if I arranged the layers so that the triangles went to the back. Although, I don't think looks anywhere near a effective as you can’t actual see the triangles. 

I then redrew the triangles so that they line up and I drew another triangle and copied and pasted it. I made these triangles white as I thought it might enhance the look of the page but in fact it has done the opposite. 

I then replaced it with another piece of glitch work. This is how I have left this page although I’m not completely happy with it because it doesn't give the same attractive effect as the other pages so I probably end up improving this page. 

For the third page, I drew another triangle which I placed upside down. I then decide to draw another two triangles which I placed in the other corners. It then create this effect. I put the work in the bigger triangle and left it like this. I’m very pleased with how this came out as I didn't really think that much about what I was doing and just tried this layout. There is a good balance between the black, white and coloured work. 

Next, I wanted to see what ideas I could come up with for the front cover where I obviously wanted to use triangles as that was the main theme through out the book. I drew one circle and duplicated it a few times. For some reason this gave me the idea of overlapping the shape and include all the the elements which I have already used I came up with the idea of doing, work, black, work, black so you can then easily see that they are triangles. Doing this also allows me to include all the work that is presented in the book. From look at the screenshot, I was going to add another triangle to the bottom of the page that would be black. I decided against this because if I did place it in, it wouldn't show that it is a triangle. I then decided to add a rectangle to the right side of the page as that's the side you would open the book. 

In the next two pages, I chose to start by drawing a rectangle in the centre of pages. I then decided to wanted to include a circle in this page to which I did by using the ‘ellipse frame tool’ and holding down ‘shift’. I then used the ‘pen tool’ to mark quarters inside the circle. I held down the mouse down when drawing the curved part. I then placed the work into two of the four and then made the other two circles black so that they can contrast the white background. On the other side, I then drew two triangles in the opposite corners. I then wanted to fill some of that space with something so I decided to draw a rectangle. I think this side of the page worked well, however I’m not so sure about the other side so I might come back to this another time.  

I then wanted just see if I added another aspect to the circle it might improve it but I think it has actually made it more confusing. 

Here, I have taken away the circle and duplicated the rectangle. I had the idea of doing a similar effect on the left side as the right side so that it looks like the line is going across the page. The screenshot below, shows where I was trying to line the rectangles up properly but I found that I couldn't get it the exact same. When I next go back into updating this book I will relook at this page and try and make it work. 

This was the last page I produced which is probably my least favourite. I tried to create a dripping effect. The problem was that I drew them dripping down the page the wrong way which I don't think creates a very effective page. I think overall this page is quite random. 

Overall, I am happy with some of the pages and I don't think I will change them. Although, I will improve some of the pages next time I revisit this book. 

[slowlynuttyobservation]

Mac Mini For Photoshop

The entry-level Mac mini offers a 3.6GHz quad-core i3 processor for £799/$799 which may not fulfil the needs of the typical designer, but the £1,099/$1,099 version offers a 3.0GHz 6-core i5. Apple FINALLY updated their Mac Mini product line late in 2018 (with a minor update in March 2020), making it a pretty good option for photographers to run Lightroom and Photoshop. This buying guide provides insight into which model and what configuration options photographers should consider. The best budget Mac for photo editing is the 2019 Mac Mini for about $900 and the best budget PC is the Dell Inspiron 3670 for about $650. Add the ViewSonic VA2719-2K-SMHD 27 Inch display for about $220 and a 4TB hard drive for another $100. So you are a photographer on a tight budget in need of a computer to run Lightroom and Photoshop. Hi John - The PA272W-BK-SV 27' 16:9 IPS Monitor with SpectraViewII from NEC comes equipped with the NEC SpectraViewII color calibration tool and features enhanced color accuracy covering 99.3% of the Adobe RGB color space, 94.8% of the NTSC color space, and 146.4% of the sRGB color space. With a variety of input connectors including DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, HDMI, and DVI-D Dual-Link, you.

Mac Mini For Photoshop Cs6

Mac Mini For Photoshop Software

What is Final Cut Pro X like running on a new Mac mini? We take a look at the new model, its features and how well FCPX performs. It even beats an iMac Pro in one of our tests!

Before we plug the new Mac mini up, it is important to understand that this version of the unit has changed. Changed a lot.

Back in 2005, the Mac mini was designed for switchers from PCs. It didn’t come with a screen, keyboard or mouse and keeping the price down helped make the transition to Mac OS 10.3 Panther and a PowerPC processor as painless as possible.

Times and technology have changed, no need now for the DVD slot or a spinning hard disk for storage.

The switchers of today are buying MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros as their first Macs, not the mini.

So this gives Apple a chance to change and retarget the use of the Mac mini. Consequently, that’s exactly what they have done with the new range of models.

But instead of offering (To quote Steve Jobs) a ‘stripped down Mac’ they’ve actually put the logic board on steroids!

The fourth generation Mac mini now has a choice of quad and 6-core processors, up to 64GB of Ram, up to 2TB of SSD storage and the option of a 10GigE port over the standard GigE.

There are also four USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports fed from two controllers, an HDMI port that supports 4K and two USB 3 ports. So yes, you can plug your own keyboard and mouse in without having to buy any adaptors.

Can the user upgrade the RAM in the new machine? Yes, it is possible, but it is not a case of flipping up a slot and exchanging the cards out.

You have to remove the cooling fan and then slide out the logic board. Make a mess of it and you’ll invalidate the warranty, so it is best to stick to an Apple approved centre for the upgrade. Should you want to get your spudger out and see the insides of the new Mac mini, head over to the excellent iFixit site.

The machine on test is a 3.2GHz 6‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i7, 32GB 2666MHz DDR4, Intel UHD Graphics 630, 1TB SSD storage and the 10 Gigabit Ethernet option.

If the colour of the Mac mini looks familiar, it is exactly the same as the iMac Pro and (after seeing them side by side) the Blackmagic external GPU. This also makes sense of the decision for Apple to sell the black keyboard and mouse and also probably hints at the new Mac Pro colour. (And possible footprint- a skyscraper sized oblong trashcan?)

Connecting it up

I’m lucky to have 2 10GigE connections on the back of my QNAP NAS. Final Cut Pro X needs fast drives to be able to build the ‘always live’ waveforms and thumbnails.

Plumbing the Mac mini into the edit system is easy and I’ve detailed how to do point to point 10Gig connection before if you haven't got a router/switch.

If you need the internet on the machine, a cheap USB to Ethernet adaptor from Amazon for $15 works as well as anything else. Run a speed test to make sure you are accessing the NAS via the higher speed route.

I powered a 4K monitor from the HDMI port; this works well and avoids any more dongles having to be bought.

After 25 years of Mac ownership, I have enough keyboards and a spare mouse to finish off the system!

Power On

The machine comes with Mojave installed and defaults to dark mode on the now silent boot. The machine is very quiet and can’t be heard over the fan of the nearby QNAP, which isn’t that loud either. This machine could easily sit on your desktop and not annoy you or your co-worker.

I read a recent review that the sound was pretty terrible out of the Mac mini. I’d disagree. It isn’t great, but it isn’t bad either. I’d say it was better than the old cylinder Mac Pro, but not in the league of the Mac notebooks. You wouldn’t want to use it as edit monitoring.

The Mac mini does have a headphone socket and I can see many editors sitting in offices with the machine on the desk and headphones on editing all day.

Although I worked the machine hard with rendering, the shell didn't get too hot. However I did feel the warm rush of air out of the back of the machine which caught me by surprise when the mini was angled away from me.

I wouldn't have it in this orientation for continuous use, ie situated under a central monitor post with cables pointing at you. Instead I suggest putting the cables and heat exhaust to the back. It will make plugging the headphones in a bit trickier, but I hate sitting in draught!

Final Cut Pro X Performance!

Let’s give it a real test and put it up against an iMac Pro!

I thought I’d dive straight in with a 4K Project and use a Library with a short minute and a half sequence with large still images, transitions, multiple title and adjustment layers.

It is in a Library that I duplicated to both machines with the media staying on the QNAP. The cache was set to both desktops respectively as the RAM in both runs at up to 3Gig speed.

Mac Mini For Photoshop Cs6

Although I didn’t time it, it felt like the thumbnails were taking a longer time to draw than I’m used to on the iMac Pro. All render files were deleted before all tests.

Unrendered, the Mac mini played the sequence back in Better Performance, but dropped frames on Better Quality. The iMac Pro played back in both settings without a problem.

Skimming seemed just as fast as the iMac Pro and it didn’t feel underpowered when navigating the timeline or browser.

The iMac is an 8 core machine with 64GB of RAM and more importantly a Radeon Pro Vega 64 GPU.

Both machines are connected to the same storage via 10GigE and renders and exports went to the respective desktops. (Ok I know it is NBase-T which supports 1Gb, 2.5Gb, 5Gb and 10Gb)

Render time Mac mini 7’03” iMac Pro 1’43”

Mac Mini For Photoshop Software

4K ProRes 422 Export Mac mini 6’45 iMac Pro 1’40”

As expected here as FCPX uses the GPU for image processing, the much lower powered Mac mini takes a lot longer.

Compressor Convert to HEVC 4K 8Bit Mac mini 54” iMac Pro 55”

Well, the Mac mini beat the iMac Pro! This is because all of the conversion is done on the CPUs.

Not really worth testing for Motion as apart from a few things like particles, Motion almost lives on the GPU.

Compressor Clusters

No, not a new breakfast cereal, but Compressor allows you to share the work out over connected machines.

I didn’t realise that the ability to set up a cluster of machines running Compressor was easy to do. Well, when I say easy my first attempt failed, but that might be down to my slightly quirky network topology with the QNAP.

To build a cluster, on the machines you want to add, open up a copy of Compressor. In the preferences, turn the option on for other computers to process batches.

Then on the host machine, make a cluster from the available machines in the list. Here you can see we have got something very wrong! We will be revisiting this topic with the issue fixed when we have more time.

Then having named your cluster (or other single machine), you can then toggle the processing destination in the dropdown menu on the bottom of the host machine's Compressor GUI.

To work properly and fast, all the machines need to be connected with 10GigE via a 10GigE switch. The costs of this networking is now a lot cheaper, Netgear and QNAP make a suitable budget switch.

There is no limit to the amount of Mac minis you can have in a cluster. You'll probably run out of switch ports first!

One note here. For distributed processing, it has to be a self contained movie that gets automatically diced and sliced and sent off to the cluster machines.

Conclusions

Not what I expected. I guess I was in the state of mind thinking that the Mac mini wasn’t a serious machine for anything other than web browsing, Plex serving or basic Photoshop.

It’s a lot more than than. It is a component in building a modular system, which is a new thought considering that Apple has been criticised over the past few years for lack of upgradability in the Mac Pro and iMac Pro.

There are two reasons for this new direction. The first are Thunderbolt 3 connections giving the option of using an external GPU and therefore factoring out the limited onboard Intel offering.

The second is the option of a 10GigE port. Being able to connect to high speed shared storage without going through an adaptor is a huge plus.

Why? Take sever centres for example. Every App on the iOS App Store has been compiled on a Mac. Rack up rows of Mac minis connected with 10GigE and you have a facility that can get apps ready quickly. No need for costly large GPUs here, all the work will be done by the CPU cores. Once set up, the Mac mini is more than happy to run in a headless mode. I've worked with a few producers like that.

This is also true of building a small Mac mini cluster to do the hard work of making all the different deliverables of an FCPX exported finished movie - while you carry on editing something else with your main machine. It would make sense for a large production or facility house to have a rack of these that everybody could access when needed.

Put five or ten of these together in a rack and you have a very fast DIT tool for making proxies and dailies on set. The Mac mini above gets its first on set DIT experience tomorrow!

I’ll leave you with a final thought.

Spec up a 6-core Mac mini with 32GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage and the soon to ship Blackmagic RX Vega 56 eGPU and you have a machine that’s not too far from the base model iMac Pro, wait for it... with over £1,200 left spare.

Granted, you’ll have to supply your own monitor, keyboard and mouse, but if upgradability is important to you, this could be a very clever way of getting the power with the flexibility.

Hopefully we will have an eGPU to test soon :)

Peter Wiggins is a broadcast freelance editor based in the UK although his work takes him around the world. An early adopter of FCP setting up pioneering broadcasts workflows, his weapon of choice is now Final Cut Pro X.

You can follow him on Twitter as @peterwiggins or as he runs the majority of this site, you can contact him here.

[aion-rsa]

Doctor Who: A History of Dalek Redesigns and Fan Reactions

https://ift.tt/39FWLt2

I think we can all agree that the 2005 redesign of the Daleks was a huge success, right? Nobody had any issues with them surely? Apart from Raymond Cusick, who originally designed them in 1963, and noted in Doctor Who Confidential ‘To them rivets and bolts are archaic.’ So obviously you can’t please everyone.

Last Thursday, which was approximately four years ago, the Radio Times was released with a new Dalek design on the cover. The slightly taller and thinner black Dalek is based on the Reconnaissance Dalek from the 2018 special ‘Resolution’, something which executive producer Chris Chibnall says is a plot point, describing the 2020 special as a sort of sequel to that episode. It looks better in the trailer than it does in a static image, and it’s been implied that the new design is a variant rather than the standard model. 

The Daleks have had numerous variants and tweaks to the standard model over the years, with two major redesigns in 2010 and 2018. You could though, argue there were four major redesigns: the design seen in the Radio Times and ‘Resolution’, plus in 1985 four new white and gold Daleks appeared in ‘Revelation of the Daleks’ (a review of the story in the TARDIS fanzine mentioned the redesign among the positives) plus a Glass Dalek (made of Perspex) and then there were four white and gold Daleks in 1988’s ‘Remembrance of the Daleks’.

However, the white and gold props for ‘Revelation’ (made from a new mould for props at a 1984 horticulture festival in Liverpool) were then painted in greys for ‘Remembrance’, with the white and gold Daleks being new props with variants on the original design. The new Daleks also included an Emperor inspired by the Sixties comic strips and a Special Weapons Dalek, originally conceived as a floating weapons platform and adjusted to fit Doctor Who’s budget. Justin Richard’s 1988 review of the story in Doctor Who Bulletin was not especially complimentary about either.

A new white and gold Dalek and the Special Weapons Dalek

It’s at this point that I should mention the Target Novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks has an entire chapter from the point-of-view of the Special Weapons Dalek and if you haven’t read the Target Novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks then I thoroughly encourage you to. I’d alsorecommend, if you’re interested in further reading, Jon Green and Gav Rymill’s Dalek6388 website, which is an incredible piece of work detailing the history of the Dalek props as they were built, used and refurbished.

So we have a good idea of when Dalek props were updated through this work, but what we don’t have for most of the show’s history are contemporary reactions to the design changes. Audience Research reports during the Sixties don’t note any responses to the different designs. We have nothing for the first Dalek story, save a comment in the Daily Mail that children had been asking what would happen to the props. ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’ comments are a mixture of happy viewers and people frustrated by the lack of Daleks in the first episode. Responses to ‘The Chase’ are mixed, with one viewer calling it refreshing in the context of the series thus far, a general agreement on it being silly but a disagreement on whether this is a good or bad thing.

None of which suggests people were especially bothered by the evolving design of the creatures. In ‘The Daleks’, the design from Raymond Cusick is largely as it would be going forward, but with a metallic collar around the “shoulders”, the area around the gunstick and sucker arm. For their second appearance in ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’two changes were made: a dish was added to the back of their collar to explain how Daleks could operate outside of their city. Secondly the fender, the base of the prop, was considerably enlarged by designer Spencer Chapman to allow the Daleks to traverse the outdoor terrain that filming required. This made them taller than Cusick’s original designs, and it was this approach – closer to a human eye line – that was used for the Amicus film adaptations of the first two Dalek stories.

A publicity still from ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’

The first one of these really distinguished itself from the black and white television version with blue being the standard colour for the Daleks, with a red second-in-command and a black and gold leader.

The colourful ‘Doctor Who and the Daleks (1965)’

These designs, and indeed some of the props, would be adapted for the television series, notably for the Dalek Supreme in 1973’s ‘Planet of the Daleks’ (based on a prop from the second movie, which can also be seen following Terry Nation around in this interview on Whicker’s World). This was described as “very impressive, with its black and gold livery and its customised eye-stalk and dome-lights” in The Television Companion by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker (1998), but as ever we have little in the way of primary sources.

The Dalek Supreme from ‘Planet of the Daleks’

Back in the Sixties, ‘The Chase’saw Raymond Cusick return as the designer. His preference for a smaller, stranger design saw the fender return to its original size, and he felt that the dish on the back of the Dalek could be improved upon. He came up with solar panelled slats on the shoulders in place of the collar, and this overall design stayed largely the same until 2010.

The task of the 2005 redesign was given to production designer Edward Thomas and the BBC Wales Art Department, and based on concept art by Matt Savage. The teams’ instinct was to preserve the silhouette of the Dalek, but Thomas referenced the redesign of the Mini Cooper – a Sixties classic that was bulked out for a relaunch in 2000. Showrunner Russell T. Davies asked for the colour scheme to be bronze and gold and the lights to be similar to the Amicus movie Daleks.

The title character from ‘Dalek’

Reviews of 2005’s ‘Dalek’ were almost completely positive, but weren’t wholly preoccupied with the Dalek prop itself. In a way that vindicates the decision to keep the design similar to the original, a continuation that meant the changes weren’t commented on in the papers. What we saw in 2010, when the design did change the silhouette, was deemed more worthy of comment outside of fan forums.

Read more

TV

Doctor Who: revisiting each Doctor’s first encounter with the Daleks

By Mark Harrison

TV

Doctor Who: John Barrowman to Return in Revolution of the Daleks

By Louisa Mellor

In 2008, Steven Moffat was planning his first series as showrunner of Doctor Who. With a new cast, TARDIS interior and exterior, logo, title sequence and theme tune it was decided that the Daleks would also be revamped. Taking on board Raymond Cusick’s point about seeing screws, nuts and bolts in the design, Ed Thomas and concept artist Peter McKinstry sought to introduce smooth lines to the design. Moffat and scriptwriter Mark Gatiss were aware that the Dalek redesign couldn’t veer too far from the original, but were inspired by the colours and height of the Amicus Daleks with an added weapon hatch at the back, creating a hump-like boot. Moffat’s ideas included an organic eyeball and a colour palette inspired by sweets, “like you want to lick them”. This was in contrast to McKinstry’s desire for a metallic finish.

The “New Paradigm” Daleks from 2010

The response to these designs was not positive within fandom. Doctor Who Magazine dedicated a cover to the question ‘Is this the most controversial Dalek redesign ever?’ For the next Dalek story, the new designs had their colours muted and made more metallic (except the White Dalek Supreme), but were introduced as an upper echelon of Dalek society with the 2005 Bronze Daleks as the foot soldiers or grunts. The “New Paradigm” were seen twice on screen in the main show, with the Dalek Supreme from ‘The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End’ replacing the white model for ‘The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar’, but the props were put to good use in exhibits and live events. As of yet, no one has been reported as licking them.

The last redesign we saw was in 2018, but this was a one-off Dalek made from scratch. The result had an intentional Scrapheap Challenge vibe and was now a remote-controlled prop rather than operated from within. Unlike the 2010 redesign, this Dalek’s different appearance wasn’t considered a new normal, and with the story providing more context for it the design provoked little to no controversy.  

The Dalek from ‘Resolution’

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Overall it’s really only the 2010 redesign that’s been met with a lot of resistance. Daleks have survived changes to their appearance, their voices, their technology, their planet being blown up and at least three attempts at wiping them out. The increasingly difficult trick is how to deploy the universe’s most defeated fascist cyborgs in a way that doesn’t feel like a contractual obligation, but a story that actually needs to be told.

The post Doctor Who: A History of Dalek Redesigns and Fan Reactions appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[jasminmblog]

Introduction to Digital Music Techniques: Final Assessment

For the final assessment, I chose ‘option 3,’ that is, to extend my “cataplexy” inspired piece from the first assessment. I chose this because for the first assessment I was unable to sing (due to Laryngitis) and it forced me to explore a genre/style and techniques that I have never considered before whilst writing or recording my music. I found it really enjoyable to create something so different but still somewhat pleasant to take in (from my point of view). After making this decision I began binge listening to so many different sub-genres of EDM, ranging from deep house to Psychedelic trance. I listened to several tracks by Armin Van Burren, Bryan Kearney, Gorgon City, Above and Beyond and many more (EDM mixes). I did this not only to get some structural insight and understanding of contrast with smooth transitions but to listen out for techniques and effects that are prominent in EDM. Like the previous two assessments, I completed this piece using Logic Pro X in the Studios (1025) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. 

INTENTION:

With my original piece I completed for the first assessment, I wanted the track to lean more toward the sub genre of ‘deep house’. But this time around I really didn’t want to be limited, as I was inspired by the wide range of EDM I had been consuming. But before even considering the ideas I had for the two new sections, the first thing I wanted to do was to rectify that which was suggested in the feedback for the first assessment. 

SECTION B REVAMP:

I began with section b, adding a few cross-rhythms and slightly spicing up the MIDI drum track with a pitched rhythmic movement (MIDI sound called animated swirls which I looped playing two chords) to accompany it. This allowed me to create more interest whist still staying true to my ‘breakdown/simple drum’ vision for section b from the first time. I also added panning in the ‘breakdown,’ where the only thing that is present is the chords and hi-hat (build up). I then added a melody, hitting record once I completely improvised and just ran with it! I didn’t hesitate to quantise this though, I used several plugins and effects (shown below).I also added a dirty toned yet simple bass line which sort of stays true to the ‘deep house vibe’ whist the melody and chords are more true of house. Overall this section sounds so much more complete then my first attempt, the feedback was really helpful. 

MIDI drum track:

Melody:

Hi-hat panning:

Section A Revamp:

Oddly enough, I made slight alterations to this section after section b. Not too much was changed here besides the addition of a quick vocal phrase and a rhythmic MIDI melody added over the chords (with panning). I recorded myself singing the word “crossover” and then added a tape delay, increasing the feedback rate (progressively) to give a sort of ‘dreamy’ but ‘dark’ ambience. This is to reflect the ‘dreamy’ MIDI effect which the track begins with, followed by the dark simple bass line. After discovering the ‘touch’ feature in automation on logic, I was able to speed up the delay/feedback in real time to create a build in pitch/temp for anticipation. 

vocal delay and automation:

VISION: 

In terms of artistic vision, I really wanted this track to catalyse colourful imagery with the listener’s mind. Almost like a VR experience, from a dreamy colourful landscape to a dark alley and even some what of a rave in the last section. I guess the inspiration came from the feeling I experienced whilst listening to different types of EDM, so I wanted that to be the focus of this track. Section b almost reminds me of video game music, and that was intentional as I wanted this to be the sound track to an alternate place/experience, consistently travelling in somewhat of a trance. This also correlates with the ‘crossover’ theme.

NEW SECTIONS:

Section A returns 

This time section A returns but rather than a synthesised rhythmic melody, a vocal melody takes hold. Before the ‘verse’ begins, I recorded myself taking a breath out and put a heavy tape delay over it, once again altering the delay in real time to create a build up. I again improvised the lyrics for this section, really wanting it to sound fun and catchy but still have relevance to both the title and previous sections. I double tracked my voice for the first half of the verse as I felt it gave more of a full effect to the section after the build up. I also did subtle harmonies over some words using the telephone vocal filter. I used various plugins under Izotope in Logic such as de-clip, de-click and de-ess to reduce noise as well as EQ and adequate trimming. I also used ‘Chroma’ reverb ever so slightly just to make the vocals sound a bit more warm.

Section C:

Unlike the previous sections, section c begins with a complete drop out of all drum tracks, only vocals and chords. The inspiration for this section came from the vocal phrase that I manipulated, I build the whole section around this phrase. This sort of happened by accident….I was trying to figure out how to automate reverb and came across the ‘real time’ feature under ‘read’  called ‘touch’ in automation which allows you to play with the EQ of a track in real time. This obviously led to the discovery of automating individual plugins rather than just the entire track which is selected. I realised I found something quite interesting and instantly got a ton of ideas, noticing the resemblance in the EDM I had been listening to. But this wasn’t so easy to achieve, it took a plethora of trial and error and some youtube Logic tutorials to get this done. In fact I nearly scraped it at one point out of frustration (and pain due to back issues) but felt persistent to finish what I had started. I trimmed one tiny vocal phrase from some improvised lyrics I recorded and copied and pasted them in line with the bar lines. I couldn’t loop the track as for some reason when I did it was out of time. I then began with the EQ on the far left (screenshots below) and slowly dragged the EQ, going from a muted to a clear sound. This seems to be ever so present in EDM music as it aids the build up. I then added a tape delay and reverb then individually automated these effects, altering feedback rate and delay time. Working on this took up more time than anything else for my piece ! But I think it sounds really cool and I’m glad I pushed through it and produced something different.This section also includes a simple kick that I recorded on the midi and looped but adjusted the EQ to make it sound sort of ‘muted’ and deep house like. 

Chords:

VOCAL EDIT:

EQ gradual movement.

SECTION D: variation of section A

For this section, the chords in section A return but are varied, played both descending and ascending. The filter (MIDI sound) that is used for the section b melody returns but with just a long sustained chord for the entire section. But before this the ‘heavenly sound’ returns from the songs intro, contributing to the dreamy ambience. This MIDI chord paired with the muted kick give a sort of ‘club’ or ‘dark’ feel. I also included what I like to call a ‘trance cry,’ I recorded myself singing “ahhh” with some heavy delays again. Paired with the bass line it sounds  both dark and dreamy (the vibe). It took time to get the delay/feedback in TIME with the rest of the piece ! I like that the kick remains for this section contributing  to the trance-rave-dreamy sort of vibe. At the very end I recorded myself singing crossover a few times over ‘telephone vocal filter’ and in real time played with the EQ to make it sound muted at first then kind of robot like. I felt the end of the track needed this as it sort of addressed/revisits what happened in section one. (below)

vocal delay:

Telephone ending:

Throughout the ENTIRE track automation was CRUCIal so it was used a lot:

Overall I am satisfied with the completed track. I am really keen to understand and learn more techniques and skills in different DAWS as well.

https://soundcloud.com/jasmin-mourad-698719626

[chaptersfromunfinishedstori-blog]

Miraculous Myriads

I’ll start with something current. This is the first part of the first draft of the first chapter of a Miraculous Ladybug fanfiction that, statistically speaking, will probably never see the light of day. Since I actually wrote it earlier today, I’ll post it without much in the way of commentary, though I may revisit it later.

&

Chapter One: Ladybug

Marinette's finger hovered over the 'call' button as, for the umpteenth time, she reviewed the facts of the case.

She and Alya had planned to meet at 6:15 at the MK2 Bibliothèque, which would give them fifteen minutes to buy snacks and get good seats before the movie started. Presently, it was 6:28.

Marinette had reread the entire text conversation, just in case she'd misremembered the time, then every conversation after just in case they'd rescheduled. She'd looked up the time on two different atomic clocks on her phone, just in case. She'd considered the possibility that she and Alya might have gone to different cinemas by mistake, but the texts had been unambiguous.

That left two possibilities: either Alya was late, or Marinette had messed up in some hitherto unimagined way. On the one hand, the evidence seemed to favour the former - but on the other hand, Marinette managed to screw up in hitherto unimagined ways on a weekly basis, whereas Alya hadn't been late for anything in the entire time Marinette had known her.

If she called and she was wrong, she'd embarrass herself, and probably come across as a high-maintenance pest on top of it. Conversely, if she sat there and did nothing, there would be no consequences, except for the ongoing public humiliation of sitting and waiting outside a movie theatre, alone, repeatedly checking the time, which she had no doubt told a vivid story to every one of the hundreds of passersby.

"Marinette, I just sensed something," said a small voice.

Marinette glanced down at her purse. Two brightly-coloured eyes stared back at her. She brought a finger to her lips, then raised the purse so it was level with her eyes, pretending to search for something.

"What is it?"

"I think-" said the voice.

"What do you mean 'what is it?' You called me," said Alya.

Marinette startled, dropping the purse like a hot potato. She looked down at her phone. Her finger was resting on the 'call' button. She traded a panicked look with the eyes in her purse.

"Nevermind, it passed," said the voice. "Answer her."

"Uh, I mean, 'what is up'?" said Marinette into the phone. "As in, what's up?"

"Uh huh. Well, not much," said Alya, "except for the most important thing ever to happen in the entire history of humanity. Oh, man, I don't even know how to explain. This is either world-class performance art or - agh, I don't know how to explain. Marinette, you have to see this for yourself. Where are you right now?"

"Where am I right now? Um, at the movie theatre."

There was a long pause. "Crap. Crap, shoot, darn it! I've been so wrapped up in this Ladybug thing, I forgot all about it. Geez, Marinette, I'm so sorry, I totally flaked out on you. I can be there in like, fifteen minutes."

Marinette let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The evening being spoiled was disappointing, but it didn't compare to the relief of not being the one to spoil it. For once. "No, that's fine. We'll just go some other time. Tell me about the most important thing in the history of the human race."

*

The most important thing in the history of humanity was apparently a teenaged girl in black-and-red spotted spandex.

The funny thing was, Alya wasn't too far off the mark. If it wasn't the single most important thing ever, it was easily in the top ten thousand.

She stood in the middle of a busy sidewalk, staring intently at a red box with black spots, though the pedestrians gave her a wide berth. A few had stopped to stare. One had recorded it on video, and Alya had apparently spent the entire weekend obsessing over the clip, among others.

"-don't call me that again. My name is Ladybug." Ladybug tilted her head, as if listening to something. "I'm almost out of time. You wasted my time. Are you filming this? Get out of my face."

Ladybug unclipped what looked like a yoyo from her belt and spun it at her side. She threw it up, somewhere out of frame, and then, too fast to follow, she was carried away as if on a bungee cord. The camera swivelled wildly, finally refocusing on a distant speck that quickly vanished from view.

Alya switched tabs and started another video. It was the same place, but evening, not afternoon. This time, Ladybug was already in the air and approaching, and Marinette was able to get a closer look at how she was moving.

Ladybug had lassoed the guardrail on the roof of a sixty-storey building with her yoyo, which apparently had a cord that stretched at least a hundred meters. In mid-swing, the yoyo abruptly disentangled itself, leaving Ladybug in freefall, but not a moment later it lashed out and caught a balcony. The cord retracted enough to bring the bottom of Ladybug's swing in line with the ground, and she landed without so much as stumbling, where she should by all rights have broken every bone in her body.

"Okay, here we go. Lucky Charm!"

Ladybug flung her yoyo into the air, and the screen went red. The low-quality cellphone camera struggled to adjust for the sudden change in lighting, and when the picture finally came back, Ladybug was holding a pair of black-and-red binoculars.

"Binoculars?" Ladybug said, sounding peeved. "This is ridiculous. Can I get a hint, or something? Tikki?"

Alya paused the video. "The first one went up Saturday morning. Now there are fifteen clips, spread over half the city. Dozens of eyewitnesses, and nobody knows how she does it. Wires, magnets, CG - nothing explains it. I have so many questions! Like, what's she saying, right before the binoculars show up? 'Something calme'?"

"Lucky Charm," said Marinette. "It's English. It means porte-bonheur. Like a four-leaf clover, or a rabbit's foot."

Alya mouthed the words silently, then replayed the last few seconds of the video.

"Lucky Charm. Huh. I didn't know you spoke English, Marinette."

"I don't. I'm just ... familiar with the phrase."

And wasn't that a can of worms.

&

This segment of the chapter sits at about 1,000 words, out of a target of 4,000-5,000. It cuts off mid-scene, since I noticed the symptoms of a recurring problem of mine which I’ll detail in the next post.

[alittlelessthanacirclefics]

Remembering Avery - Chapter One

In which two broken girls find themselves by exploring each other.

Moving her entire life, one suitcase at a time, midway through the academic year had become a regular occurrence for Lottie Jennings. Her education hadn’t been affected, despite the constant curriculum changes, but the rootless lifestyle had taken its toll on her. However, it seemed that no-one was bothered until her grades slipped.

Dragging herself and her belongings across the country at a moment’s notice was something that she had hated since he had first become aware of the fact that her previous homes would never be revisited. Each time she had to reluctantly board another train, Lottie felt as though she was leaving a section of her soul behind, a fraction of it with every friend whose face would fade away from her memory.

With every cross-country trek, the change had become more drastic and it had taken her more time to adjust. The one upside to this was that, when her life had to be relocated once more, she was not too attached to the city or town she had been inhabiting.

However, for the last six months, Lottie had been living in London. Over this time, she had grown used to the quirks of the city, along with the precautions she had to go through to keep herself safe. Six months was plenty of time for Lottie to adapt to the living conditions and to connect with the people around her. So, Lottie had done just that.

Unfortunately, London was a far cry from Oakton. As Lottie stepped off the train, she was sure that she had stepped into another universe where she had no choice but to be an alien. In London, Lottie was always surrounded by the buzz of life, with business men making phone calls alongside her as she walked to school. Back there, Lottie’s DNA had made her the IT girl of her school. Here, in Oakton Village Station, there wasn’t another person in sight. She was also pretty sure that, here, no-one cared whose daughter she was.

Confusion filled Lottie’s mind as she gazed around her. There was no way that she could fathom an explanation as to how the platform had been names a station. The section of paves stone beneath her feat could not have been wider than one train carriage and went back about five feet. Even though it seemed untouched by the footfall of London stations, the stone was worn and had begun to crumble, most likely due to the elements.

Glancing down at her feet, Lottie groaned as she noticed the dust covering her white canvas shoes. Being in a new place often meant that she grew agitated at the smallest things. That included things as miniscule as dust on her new shoes.

Subconsciously, and in a rather aggressive manner, Lottie tapped her toe on the floor as she took a moment to glance around the platform. Lining the space was around half a dozen flower beds, each perfected and identical. Their uniformity was only highlighted by the state of the antiquated stone floor. Someone had taken a great deal of time to ensure that the age of the village didn’t claim its beauty.

Much to Lottie’s genuine surprise, there was a building to the side of her. It was made of the same weathered stone and looked as though the wind could knock it down without so much of a weather warning being heard on the news Its stone walls were irregular and held no obvious pattern. Yet another difference between Oakton and London. London was geometric and organised, most of the time. Oakton held an obviously rustic urban charm.

Having taken a step towards the building, Lottie could see a familiar car parked beside it. Moments previous, the car had caused an up roar in Oakton. The reflective silver had caught the eyes of the residents due to its unfamiliar aesthetics. Many had cursed how it must have been speeding through the back lanes, none watching as the driver followed all of the highway codes and stayed at a steady pace.

Without so much of a thought the woman had parked her car and exited the driver’s door. The slender woman then proceeded to lean against the hood of the car, her mobile phone in hand and sunglasses perched effortlessly on her head.

Shaking her head at the woman’s infatuation with whatever was on her phone, Lottie let a soft chuckle dance across her pursed lips. This action, however, did not make its way into the world as a noise. It was merely a relaxation of her face and her eyes. Lottie had never audibly chuckled.

After a moment of amusement in the fact that the blonde had so commonly made comments about how teenagers were too obsessed with their phone, yet hadn’t noticed her stood in front of her, Lottie let an obviously annoyed cough leave her mouth. Looking up, the blonde’s lips pulled into a smile as she noticed her sister.

Jennifer Jennings, although related by blood to Lottie, did not look at all like her. While both siblings were typically attractive, with slender frames, tamed hair and clear skin, they had obvious differences that causes shock when people discovered the relation. This was also true of their personalities, but neither was the kind of person they stereotypically looked like.

Curves in her stature had lead to one of Jenna’s most useful features; highlighted assets. For as long as she could remember she had been taught to play to her strengths, choose clothes that flaunted parts of her that were appealing, but Jenna had never been the kind of person to wear anything revealing. However, with a model’s body and a matching golden tan, Jenna could pull of any item of clothing and still look like a goddess.

Leaning against the car, Jenna looked as though she belonged on a calendar. In fact, many times she had been scouted for modelling jobs that she would automatically turn down. She hated the idea of someone looking at her as perfect and then turning to themselves and feeling only hatred.

With the stereotypical appearance of an All-American mean girl, combined with the English’s love for films, Jenna was often treated as she appeared. However, her appearance could not have been less symbolic of her nature.

Jenna had always used her family’s wealth to help others, trying her hardest to steer clear of the drama that often came with money in private secondary schools. Unlike many others in her position, Jenna didn’t flaunter her wealth with designer bags and hoes, nor did she take it upon herself to rule the school. All Jenna wanted was to get through school and then get her degree, she did just that.

On the other hand, Lottie was proof the you cannot judge a book by it’s cover. Everywhere she had been since starting at secondary school, Lottie had used her father’s social stance to make her way to the top of the it crowd, not caring who she stood on to get there. Yet, she had a girl-next-door appearance.

Supporting a head of copper curls and a pair of oversized glasses, Lottie did not look like the stereotype she belonged to. There was no denying that she was attractive, but in a way that contrasted her sister. Lottie held an air of innocence and intelligence, something she had only ever seen as a weakness.

Her face had become painted with a mask of make-up, her livelihood made up of a series of straight lines. Straight lines had become a way of life for Lottie, her steps becoming the lines in which other girls walked in.

Despite their obvious differences, along with the fact that Jenna was six year older, and only Lottie’s half-sister, the duo had always been the closest members of their dysfunctional family. Lottie didn’t know why, but Jenna had always treated her differently to the rest of her family. She had never been quick to judge, yet she had always been the first to push her in the right direction.

Raising her brow in curiosity, Lottie inwardly groaned at the apologetic look she got back. Many last-minutes moves had caused Jenna’s face to contort in a way that was identical to that moment. The majority of those times Lottie had hated the place she was compelled to call home, and the woman that had dragged her there.

“Not again.” Lottie muttered, once again tapping her toe against the floor to return her shoe to its usual colour.

Jenna stepped towards the boot of her car, pulling it open for Lottie’s case, as she said, “Don’t be too upset, I only give it three months before he kicks her to the curb. And that is being generous.”

Visibly crossing her fingers, Lottie sent a smile across her lips as she walked towards her sister, pulling her suitcase behind her. Jenna had never been wrong about how long their father’s newest partner would last, though Lottie had often wished she was. It seemed as though every time she liked the woman, her father would change his mind quickly.

The only problem was, Lottie and Jenna were the to meet the latest notch in their father’s belt. All they knew was what Jenna had found on her Facebook page and observed in their new home. Neither girls had even considered the fact that social media accounts could be sculpted to look a certain way. They were not a reliable source of intel.