#i actually do like Rolin too i think he's very talented this is just so sad all around

[bitchywillgraham]

Seems like the only one who understands, and cares about, Lestat's character is Sam. It's just disheartening. Rolin said he wanted to join this project to adapt TVL, but he doesn't seem to understand Lestat at all nor do I think he cares that he's getting things monumentally wrong.

If your actor is constantly confronting you over things you're getting wrong then shouldn't you pay attention to that and do something differently? During one of those 2024 SDCC interviews, Assad made a joke about making Rolin fix the scripts and Rolin said he heeds the actor's opinions and will change things in the script upon their feedback...

Not sure I agree with Rolin there when Sam purposefully improvised that line during the Magnus monologue (without asking the writers), he said he did it the way he did so they were less likely to cut it out because it was in the middle of the scene. Isn't that a huge red flag on Rolin and the writers? Why does Rolin continue to ignore this?

Honestly, while it's sad to say, I think this will be the make it or break it season for me. If they don't do TVL, Lestat, and his relationships with Gabrielle, Armand, and Nicki justice then I don't think I can continue. As much as I love this show and adore this cast, idk if I can do it if they make more monumental mistakes.

Hello! I'm a different anon. I just saw your Daniel Hart post. When you were talking about the red flags, I was aware of all those except the agency and Levan's comments? If you're okay with explaining those, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thank you!

Hey!

Sam spoke about agency in Autumn's video (the outtake video), at around 9 minutes:

It's heavy on hints and spoilers though, fair warning.

He speaks about how, if the show actually made one of them the "villain" (wrt the trial and surrounding events), it would take away the agency... which is, if you know the books... not how it went. To put it that way. Lestat didn't have "agency" in the books, he was tortured and used for the trial.

(Same goes for the "metaphorical tower push"... I sure hope they just... cannot talk about that, because that would take away so much?! And for what?!)

The other thing I talked and referenced the sources of here, hope it's okay if I link it because there's more to it:

That, too, plays into it all.

So yeah, there were a few red flags, and they are... piling up.

But, as said before - it is what it is now. they made choices, and those do and will continue to carry repercussions.

[witchhatproductions]

Witch Hat News #2 - Starting Fresh

This is an archived version of our microfiction newsletter! You can read along on our tumblr, or subscribe here.

ST: The other day, I was talking to someone who had just finished an art course and was looking to get started making comics or cartoons, who asked me, "How do you get into the industry?"

I'm not overly qualified to answer this question - the only people I've ever worked for professionally are indie writers, not industry names, and my books have never even been printed on paper. But I guess that's more experience of the world of publishing than some. It's enough to know the answer to the question, "How do I get into the comics industry?". It's, "Make comics for free until you have some proof of experience to show the publishers."

At the community college where I studied animation for a year-and-two-months, our tutor, Kevin Taylor, had been an animator in the 80s and 90s. He studied graphic design at college, happened to be living near a studio in London, and was hired pretty much fresh out of university to start working on cartoons, a job he learned at the studio, having barely studied it at university. He had some talent and intelligence and became, when taught, a pretty good animator. 

But that was the 80s, and if there's any animation studio in the western world hiring fresh inexperienced college grads for full-time living wages, I've never heard of them. Which kind of sucks, huh? The hustlers among you may think, "Well, you've gotta work for what you want." But isn't it a shame that studios don't take on the risk of training young eager employees anymore? At least not in this part of the world. Kevin Taylor left the animation industry for teaching, despite his experience and aptitude. "I like animation," he told us once, "But I hated being an animator." Quite a few of the modern, progressive animated classics - Adventure Time, Steven Universe, Owl House - had some bulk of their animation work done in Southeast Asia, by employees being paid fractions of their equivalents in the US for their very demanding work.

So... how do you get into the industry? Many ways. Some of my old friends from community college have jobs at Netflix and Cartoon Saloon now. But you've gotta figure out if you want to get there first - most people get partway there and then realise it ain't for them.

LS: Hi there everyone! Long term followers of Witch Hat Productions will recall that this is a two-person operation, and since Tata’s asked me to step in to help with this newsletter, you’re getting a little bit of my editorial voice too, for a change. This issue’s theme is ‘Starting Fresh’, so you might imagine that this change is somehow in fitting with this, even though this is only the second issue. 

Anyway! I suggested the theme ‘Fresh Starts’ or ‘New Beginnings’ or ‘Getting Started’ to Tata when we were out walking and we were trying to think of a theme for this newsletter. I was thinking about Colin’s kickstarter, and about how, as creators, we’re constantly starting new projects, revitalising old projects, moving on to a newer and fresher ideas. Personally, I have some settings and stories in my head that are on their umpteenth iteration, and others that are only now starting to blossom.

Tata’s editorial up there questions the struggles of making it in the creative world, and whether it’s actually worth it. The best advice I ever received in this regard actually came from Tata herself: enjoy the process, not the product. I like to think if you make fun, beautiful projects, then at least even if they’re not commercial hits, you’ve had a good time along the way.

Reviews

When Language Fails by writer Colin O'Mahoney and artist Mari Rolin is currently on kickstarter until Wednesday, 7th June. Colin was actually the first editor I ever had - he explained the basics of lettering to me when I was the wee age of 19, and I've been following his advice ever since. When Language Fails is set to be sad, and funny, and painful, and appears to prominently feature clowns with guns as a plot point. 

Relatable Girl by @adazaster. As it says in its very own blurb, Relatable Girl is a ‘comic about the daily struggles of Frannie, a girl who is very Normal and Relatable.’ Relatable Girl is hilarious and pretty absurd, with just a touch of horror about it - which at Witch Hat (and being Irish) are two things we love. It updates Tuesdays and Thursday, and in fitting with our ‘Starting Fresh’ idea, it’s pretty new - but it already has five full parts of story already out for you to enjoy! 

External Memory by My Murphy (@externalmemorycomic). External Memory couldn’t be more similar and more dissimilar to Relatable Girl if it tried. It’s a diary comic, whose four panel strips focus on snapshots of My’s life, and are consistently funny, charming and heartfelt. Diary comics are a wonderful little look into the lives of their creator, and the window My’s comic offers is a pleasant one indeed; the way the characters are written and the events are depicted is just so charming. The comic sometimes touches on darker themes (as life itself does, y’know how it is), but these are nonetheless extremely heartfelt. Also, My has just recently moved to Ireland - hi My!

Your project here. Do you make art of any kind - visual, written, performed? Are you starting a project or recruiting co-creators? We want to hear from you! Email us at contact@witchhatproductions.com. A proper submission procedure will be created if needed, but for now, it's open season - show us anything. Fire away.

That's all from us for now. See you in June!

[nalyra-dreaming]

I know they're mostly not going for big actors, both for $$$ reasons and the fact they want to have revelations and I completely support that. I love that they're finding new talents and giving them a chance to shine. And I wouldn't mind having big actors, but I wouldn't want a bunch of them on the same season, because they'd be talented, but the names would be bigger than the show and it would be distracting, yk? I want the show to be the biggest thing. But I'm cool with one person or another once in a while. But do you think they would be down for that too sometimes? Like, assuming they could persuade someone or the actor was an actual fan and wanted to recur on one season and didn't care about the money. And do you think they have a limit, like, being okay with an Emmy winner, but no Oscar winner because that would be too big and distracting? Or just nominations but not winners? Or like those actors that are amazing and have an extensive filmography, but for some reason have never been nominated to anything big? Because there are some people that I think are somewhat big, like an Emmy winner actress and another Oscar nominated actress, but they're so laid-back you kind of forget about it and I think they could fit the show. One of them has a long theater career (and we know they love theater actors) and is fluent in French and Italian too and the other I'm sure would love the show (if she doesn't watch it already). It's far-fetched they would ever end up there, but a girl can dream lol, but I wonder how open/closed they are to that idea on punctual moments.

I think if the opportunity arises (and if the actor or actress show interest) then they will go for it.

I mean, Rolin knows where to sniff for gold - and how to^^.

If a, let's say, "big caliber" actor comes in then he would be stupid not to jump at the opportunity, and I think he's very far from stupid.

So yes, I can see it. And, I mean, we know from Rolin that Justin Kirk is also working under usual fare as a favor... Sometimes the parts, the roles are just too good to pass up :)

However, this also goes for relatively unknown actors. And... as said before - I just want them to find the perfect cast once more. Given Rolin has been so good at casting...