#it really mixes well with the camera angle and everything to play on my biggest fears

[mychlapci]

girls will turn on transformers prime season 1 episode 4 darkness rising (part 4) an they will go timestamp 00:07:45 and watch one of the most eerie and weirdly haunting scenes in all of animated trasformers media

[justsomerandomntmranking]

My Thoughts On Mongolia's Next Top Model Cycle 3

Memes aside, this cycle is the first of this series that I actively followed and enjoyed. This came after the first 2 cycles of Mongolia's Next Top Model, which I say would be the best series if not for the ending of it, when the eventual winner, Chamia, would die from a fall off a building, which many, including myself, think was murder by either her boyfriend or another model on the show. Anyways, due to that, the series went on hiatus for 2 years, making people wonder if the series would ever come back. However, it came back with the thanks of the new COVID pandemic and a new TV program and a host who doesn't help people get murdered. It was nice seeing it back and I will happily say, it gladly lived up to the hype they were preparing for us after the death of Chamia (I will review MNTM one day but I don't know if I ever do Chamia's cycle just because it doesn't feel right, go on my ask and see if you would want that). A big part of why the cycle in general was just great was because of the cast.

As always with this type of series, the cast is very strong. We had mixed Vietnamese with Dieu, Hanna's more Anna-Taylor Joy look, Nuna and Naraa just looking stunning, Dino was the better Brendi K of the cycle, same makeover and everything, Mendy looked like the first winner of MNTM, and Tsolmon was just expensive looking. I loved this cast look clearly as they all look so different and Mongolia embraced the casts' look and also gave some creative yet versatile makeovers.

My biggest problem with the cycle was the group twists. Every other episode until the finales, the girls would be put into 2 groups and the winner of the groups would receive immunity. The rest would have to do a runway challenge and the worst of the walkers would be eliminated. It screwed over a lot of girls like Hanna, who would never win any of the group challenges and keep much weaker models like Dino and Khulanii. Indonesia's NTM C2 is doing it much MUCH worse though because they do it every goddamn episodes.

Ignoring all of the flaws, the photoshoots were super creative, one of the best in any NTM in my opinion. We started off really well with a fire runway, inspired by ANTM's but much more safer and more cooler, but the cycle kinda hit a wall for me when we had a pretty boring duos shot, inspired by All Stars from ANTM and a shitty car photoshoot. However, the cycle took a big shot up with its super cute ads shot and one of the best photoshoots out of the entire series, its tights photoshoot where the girls would play with illusions. Plus, the cyberpunk themed photoshoot using new camera angles and risks is just amazing to look at. Finally, the challenge shots were super high quality for a background image and if I were to rank them, most of them would be in the top 10 list.

(Pictured Below: Akune and Hanna: View full photos here)

Oh yeah, the winner Hanna! Hanna really started off 2022 with a big bang. I mentioned how much she looked like the asian Anna Taylor Joy to me. She had pretty shit teeth but ignoring that, she was the most consistent throughout the cycle. She wasn't as meme-worthy as Kyveli though but we got some meme worthy content from her. Mostly, her judgemental "bitch please" looks into the camera. There was some hate for her win due to her connection to the host but like Saleshia, who cares, as long as you modelled the shit out of the show then connections be damned

Now, the notable models of the cycle!

Key Models:

- Nuna got the awesome pink hair of the cycle, which I fucking adored. I love dyed up hair like that (Adela PhNTM C2) and she worked it! It's a shame that the group twist of the cycle fucked her because she was a worthy final 3 contender.

- Tsolmon was just expensive looking, height be damned because she carried the cycle with her personality and modeling skills. She would've been a great winner for the show, even if her height would be a big issue for the judges

- Khatnaa was the judge's pet project for the cycle due to her braces, age, and her inexperience. I say as a new up-and-coming model, she really carried her own during the cycle, despite being dragged unfairly to the final 2.

- Dieu is so adorable! I loved her "out of the balls to the walls" modeling, she didn't really have a chance to do any modeling post show but she took a lot of risks throughout the show. It was great to see her make it to the semi finales and her massive improvement throughout.

- Dino is like Brendi K when she was unfairly dragged to the almost end, except she was actually eliminated for her best shot while Brendi K quitted and would've most likely stayed. She was a lovely girl but her photo quality was a oof.

Best Model

Hanna

Obvious is obvious, a lot of the models this cycle could easily take the award from me but the winner was one of my favorites from me. Shoutout to Tsolmon and Nuna as well since they completed hard for this spot!

Photo of the Cycle

Tsolmon's Dansran Jewelries Beauty Shoot

This shot won POTY from RGB for a good reason, this shot showcases her face well and her amazing model potential.

Worst Model

Khulanii

It's hard to choose a model here because I don't hate anyone this cycle but Khulanii comes close for me mostly because she never looked like a model to me, just ok to me (plus her walk is a MESS).

Most Robbed Model

Naraa

It's hard to choose a model for this spot since I agree with most of the eliminations but Naraa came close for me. Naraa was a stunning gal but her elimination was complete bullshit. She got screwed over by the group twist, leading her to fuck up on the runway and unfairly eliminated, she deserved better!

This took me a while to finish but yeah, enjoy!

[hyungwonmyheart]

Sleepover

Group: SuperM / NCT Pairing: Lucas (Wong Yukhei) / Female Reader Words: 6,637 Tags: college!au, party time, drinking games, alcohol use, dirty talk, handjob, clitoral stimulation, vaginal sex, pet names Summary: You’re invited to a party by your best friend, Ten, at his apartment. When you get there, you discover the only people who showed up are some of his guy friends (the members of SuperM) and his roommate, Lucas; the one you’d been harboring some strong feelings for ever since he moved in. A night full of drinking games leads to you sneaking into Lucas’ room when everyone else is asleep, all thanks to liquid courage. A/N: I’ve been writing this freaking fic for months. There will eventually be a sequel, but it will not be featuring Lucas/Reader as the center point! I had a lot of fun writing the game section because it really showcased their personalities. Sometimes you just need to write silly filler. Anyway, I really hope y’all enjoy this! :D

“When are you getting back in town again?” Ten asked through the phone screen. He was sitting on his couch, eating lunch while video calling you. His phone was propped up on something, allowing him full use of his hands to enjoy the meal.

You were lying on your childhood bed, having visited your parents for a few days. You weren’t particularly concerned with the camera angle; it was just your best friend. “Tomorrow afternoon. I have Sunday off before I go back to work on Monday.”

“Hey, that’s perfect!” A new voice said just as someone popped their head into the frame. Ten’s roommate, Lucas, was all smiles when he laid eyes on you. “We’re having a party tomorrow night. You should come!”

At the sight of Lucas, you immediately sat up in bed and readjusted the phone to look your best.

Ten noticed, but nudged Lucas away to say, “Oh yeah, we’re having a party tomorrow night. You should come.” His monotonous voice lacked enthusiasm since his roommate spoiled the news.

“That sounds like fun,” you exclaimed, already looking forward to it.

Your friend swallowed a bite of food when a sly darkness came to his gaze. “By the way, you look great. Doesn’t she look great, Lucas?”

You narrowed your eyes on Ten, knowing what he was getting at, but only smiled as Lucas sat down beside him with his own plate of food.

“She always looks great,” the younger replied, shit-eating grin and all as he swept some of his hair out of his face. Then, he wasted no more time to dig into his lunch.

Ten wiggled his eyebrows at you, which only made you even more flustered.

“I gotta go, my mom’s calling for me,” you fibbed to get out of the conversation.

That made Ten suspicious. “I didn’t hear her--”

“See you tomorrow! Bye!”

“Hey, wai-”

You quickly ended the call before tossing your phone away and burying your face in a pillow. That little shit, you thought spitefully about your friend. He knew you carried a torch for Lucas, and never let the chance pass to tease you about it. Lucas was six feet of charming, goofy, raw charisma. He was undeniably handsome, and his smile was to die for. You were in deep, deeper than you ever let Ten know, though he probably figured that out for himself.

However, you couldn’t confront those feelings. What if you did pursue Lucas? What if things didn’t work out, and the awkwardness forced him to move? And then, Ten would have to go through the trouble of finding another roommate. You didn’t want to cause such a fuss. You could keep it in your pants if it meant helping them live in harmony.

Your phone jingled to alert you had received a new text.

Ten: Coward.

If only they could make it that easy on you.

•••••

You traveled home safely from your parents’, and immediately started getting ready for the party. You weren’t sure exactly what kind of party this was, so you opted with a smokey eye and rosy lip look while your clothes were trendy, yet casual enough to be comfortable in. The desire to impress Lucas lingered in the back of your mind...well, more like hovered over your back like a vengeful spirit ready to devour its next soul.

Okay, maybe that was a little dark, but it really was an ominous feeling, damn it!

All you wanted was to have a good time tonight, and if that good time included Lucas’ company, then everything would be perfect.

You made your way to Ten’s apartment around 8 o’clock that evening. You stood outside the door for a solid fifteen seconds, preparing yourself for knocking. Usually, you’d be inclined to stroll in without delay, but for some reason your anxiety was getting the better of you. This was just another party to hang out with some friends...and Lucas...Nothing to get so worked up about.

Knock, knock, knock.

You heard some footsteps approaching before the door swung open and Ten greeted you with a bright smile.

“Hey!” He said, giving you a hug before ushering you in.

“Hi!” You returned, immediately looking around the room. Your face fell a bit.

Sitting in the living room was a group of six other men. You knew all of them, though a couple you considered acquaintances. Mark and Taeyong were friends of Lucas’ you’d only met once before, while Baekhyun, Taemin and Jongin were the ones you saw on a regular basis with Ten.

You figured it must still be early. “Who else is coming?” You asked as you started to unzip your jacket.

“This is it,” Ten announced, motioning to the others.

You paused mid-zip. “Wait, wait, wait. I thought this was a party, not just some night for drinking with your boys.”

“Some people cancelled last minute, so it’s just us! And you! Yayyy,” he responded, sarcasm dripping from his words.

You sighed, feeling a little put-off by being the only girl in a group full of guys, but whatever, you’d roll with it. You finished taking your jacket off, along with your shoes while you were at it.

“Before you start mingling,” Ten began, stepping between you and your line of sight to the living room, “I’m going to take this as an opportunity to let you know something that I found out.” The sudden sinister smile on his lips made your skin crawl. It had to be something interesting for him to make that face.

“Spill,” you demanded.

Ten lowered his voice. “Lucas told Baekhyun who told me that Lucas wants you.”

You raised a brow. “‘Wants me’?”

“Yeah,” he continued, “and he says he loves your smile and you’ve got a nice ass.”

Peeking over Ten’s shoulder, you nearly stared holes into the back of Lucas’ head as he sat on the couch. “And?” You asked to see if there was more while returning your gaze to your best friend.

“Oh, and he thinks you need a man who knows how to dick you down.”

Your mouth dropped.

Ten giggled. “Okay, I added that last part in.”

You rolled your eyes and shoved him playfully. You were still wrapping your mind around this. “Why would Lucas tell Baekhyun that? He literally has the biggest mouth--”

“--Because, unlike us, Lucas doesn’t know better not to tell Baekhyun anything like that,” Ten cut in.

You glanced down at your fidgeting fingers. This felt kind of unreal. You choked back your hesitation to ask, “Does he really want me?”

Ten blinked. “Are you serious? That boy has been fawning over you since Day One.”

Shaking out the anxious energy from your hands, you took a deep breath and primped your hair a bit. If this was true, you had to make sure. Tonight.

You heard Lucas’ voice from behind Ten as he loudly said your name. “You made it!” He exclaimed, bringing you into a warm hug.

You breathed in his cologne and never wanted the hug to end. When he pulled away, much to your internal disdain, you smiled up at him. “Hey, Lucas,” you said before waving at everyone who was now staring at you from across the room. “Hey, guys!”

They all said their hellos as you walked into the living room with Lucas and Ten close behind you.

“Can I make you a drink?” Taemin offered, going to stand from the couch.

“She can do it her damn self,” Ten quipped as he took a seat on the floor by the coffee table.

You started poking his side with your toes, knowing it was going to bug him.

He swatted at your foot, but you moved too quickly for him to touch you. You stuck your tongue out at him.

“C’mon, I’ll make it for you,” Lucas said with a laugh. He placed one of his large hands on the small of your back and guided you towards the kitchen.

You ignored the silence that followed as everyone watched the two of you leave, but you were relieved when Ten started up the conversation with, “Which one of these drinks was mine again?”

“You should’ve gotten a Sharpie so we could write our names on the cups…” Jongin stated.

“That would have required thinking ahead,” Baekhyun teased, sipping at his own drink.

Mark chimed in, “You really don’t have a Sharpie? Anywhere?”

Ten sent a glare around the room. “Fresh out.”

Their discussion faded as your focus was overwhelmed with Lucas’ presence.

“Whatcha got a taste for?” He asked, motioning to the plethora of alcohol and mixers scattered across the kitchen counter.

You couldn’t really say ‘your dick’ without dying of shame, so instead you went for, “A shot of tequila.”

Lucas smirked and reached for a shot glass from one of the cabinets. “Anything else?” He questioned as he poured your shot.

You snatched it off the counter and tilted your head back, downing it. You hissed a bit before setting the glass down. If you got some alcohol in your system quickly, you would surely loosen up and relax more. That was your logic. Your eyes flickered to his as a flirtatious smile played on your lips. “Another shot of tequila?”

The low chuckle that came from his direction traveled straight to your core. “Don’t go too hard yet, we’ve still got games to play,” he informed you while pouring your second shot.

You tossed the tequila back once more. “But I like to go hard,” you couldn’t stop yourself from saying.

A look of surprise crossed his face, but you quickly turned away to mix yourself a cocktail. You cursed your dirty mind. Maybe he didn’t catch the innuendo in your words…

After you stirred your drink, you let Lucas--who was now awfully quiet--lead you back out into the living room.

Taeyong stood from the couch and offered you the seat. “The lady shouldn’t sit on the floor,” he declared, sitting down beside Mark.

Your cheeks flushed, and you wondered if it was from the gentlemanly act or the tequila.

Probably both.

You thanked Taeyong and sat between Baekhyun and Taemin. Lucas wheeled in the computer chair from his bedroom, while the others remained on the floor.

Ten clapped his hands together and rubbed his palms against each other. “Since this is it, how about we start a game?” He suggested.

“What game?” A few questioned simultaneously.

“I thought we could start with a game called ‘Most Likely,’” he continued. “Basically, we’ll go around in a circle. Each person thinks of a question to ask everyone in the room, like, who is ‘Most Likely to fall asleep first at a sleepover?’ Or ‘Most Likely to lose their phone while it’s on silent?’ Silly questions, dirty questions, all are welcome. Then, everyone points to the person they think are Most Likely to do so. Whoever has the most fingers pointed at them has to drink!”

“That sounds like fun!” Mark gabbed.

“Then, I’ll start!” Ten announced. “Everyone got their drinks? Yeah? Okay! Who is Most Likely to feel comfortable walking around naked?”

Baekhyun started to laugh. “Oh, we’re starting out dirty right from the get-go, huh?” When everyone’s fingers pointed in his direction, his smile faltered and he pouted. “Hey! Are you guys ganging up on me?”

“Are you really going to sit there and act like you don’t?” Jongin said in disbelief.

“W-Well, no, but--”

“THEN DRINK!” Ten and Taemin demanded.

Baekhyun begrudgingly took the first sip of the game before boasting, “Me next!” He tapped his chin in thought before asking, “Who’s Most Likely to eat an entire pizza in one sitting?”

Fingers gravitated to Lucas.

Without even arguing, Lucas raised his cup to his lips.

The next few questions went by with brief discussions.

You asked, “Most Likely to get a million followers on a social media platform?” Unanimously decided that would be Taemin.

Taemin asked, “Most Likely to become an evil mastermind and plan to take over the world?” Well, that was right up Ten’s alley, though it was agreed you’d be his minion.

Taeyong asked, “Most Likely to forget something at the grocery store if they don’t have a list?” He shot a playful glare at Mark, to which the younger apologized to his own roommate ‘for the thousandth time.’

Mark asked, “Most Likely to become a supermodel?” One would think it went to Lucas since he was so tall, but everyone agreed there was something about Jongin that would draw the eye in that sort of situation.

Jongin stared into his drink for a few seconds as he thought. “Most Likely to abandon their room because of a spider?” A smile crept to his lips as all the fingers pointed to you.

You narrowed your eyes on each person before defending, “Okay, first of all, when it’s a big spider and it disappears from my sight, of course I’m going to get the fuck out of that room!”

Baekhyun snorted. “Until someone else comes and finds it and kills it for you.”

“Remember that time you slept in your living room for five days because you couldn’t find that one spider?” Ten brought to your attention.

You glared at your best friend. “Go to hell.”

“We’ll ride down together, my little minion,” he cackled. “Now drink.”

You took a big gulp from your cup.

The game continued. Lucas asked, “Most Likely to spend an entire day playing video games?”

The vote had barely even come down to Baekhyun before he raised his hand. “I’ll take that crown, thank you!” He beamed, taking a drink.

You giggled. This was actually pretty fun.

“Okay, we’re back to me,” Ten announced, carefully picking out his next question. “Most Likely to become an escort?” He wiggled his eyebrows towards Taemin, obviously thinking everyone would choose him.

Ten didn’t expect the fingers around the room to point at him again. After more thought…they were probably right. "Okay, yeah, I can see that,” he started, “but listen, I have very expensive tastes. I just need a sugar daddy instead."

Laughs filled the room, but then Taemin chimed in, "You say that, but..." He glanced at Taeyong, who'd yet to have been picked for a question. "Who's most likely to be a sugar baby?"

Most fingers were directed at Taeyong.

Ten, who was pointing at himself, pouted, but ended up nodding in agreement. "Yeah. Yeah, I can see that."

Taeyong’s face flushed. “But why me?!”

Leaning over from his seat, Taemin jokingly grabbed Taeyong’s chin and squeezed his cheeks together. “You’re sweet, and who wouldn’t give money to that face?” He mocked, though laughed loudly as Taeyong slapped at his hand.

“Are you trying to say that I would take money from some old dude just because I’m cute?” Taeyong’s cheeks were blood red at this point. His flustered gaze was on the ground. You noticed that Ten couldn’t take his eyes off of him.

Baekhyun crossed one leg over the other, smirking over at the embarrassed man. “Who said it had to be an old dude? There are lots of women out there who’d love to have you around.”

You kept your gaze on Ten, picking up on the subtle twitch of his eyebrow when Baekhyun spoke about a woman getting Taeyong’s attention. Oh, so I’m not the only one with the hots for someone… You thought, stifling a giggle.

“You’d be crazy not to,” Ten butted in, finally tearing his eyes away from Taeyong. You knew your best friend, and you knew he wasn’t always one to act on his feelings unless he was sure of the other party’s attraction to him as well. He swirled his drink around in his cup. “Free money? Hell yeah.”

Taeyong finally sent a glance at your friend, a distant look of hurt in his gaze. “Nothing’s ‘free’, Ten.”

Ten couldn’t stop himself from poking a bit more fun. “Okay, so you’ll have to do a bit of literal ass kissing, but you’ll be living comfortably,” he said with a laugh.

You exchanged awkward glances with Lucas, and you immediately knew he caught on to Ten’s feelings as well. It may not have been obvious to anyone else, but you two were the ones he was closest with.

You brought your arm down in front of you, as if cutting the tension with a knife. “All right, all right, next question…”

A few more rounds went by before it came to Mark again. Like his roommate, Mark’s cheeks were also flushed, but you realized he was a bit drunker than the others in the room. His drink was almost gone, and if you remembered correctly, Lucas may have mentioned at some point that his friend was a lightweight. “Most Likely to pierce their dick?” Mark almost slurred.

Lucas motioned to you. “That’s not fair, she can’t answer that!”

Mark rolled his eyes. “Fine, pierce their ‘genitals’?”

“That just sounds even dirtier,” Jongin murmured.

Ten chuckled, “The dirtier the better, in my opinion, but it sounds like Mark’s the one who’s interested in it.”

“I never took Mark as being that kinky,” Baekhyun snickered.

Mark gasped and shook his head vigorously. He immediately regretted that. He lifted his hands to his temples, trying to massage the headache and nausea away.

“What the hell is he drinking?” You inquired, curious to what had him so messed up this early in the night. You looked around at the others, but froze when you realized Lucas was staring at you. When he quickly averted his eyes, you felt a flutter in your stomach.

Taemin snorted at your question. “I made him a drink; it must’ve been too strong for him.”

If Mark’s concoction from Taemin was that strong, now you were grateful that you made your own drink.

“Are you still okay to play?” Lucas asked Mark.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” the younger insisted.

“Then, let’s keep going,” Ten declared.

It was Jongin’s turn. “Most Likely…” He pondered for a few seconds. “Most Likely to have sex in public?”

Even Taemin pointed at himself. “What can I say, I like the thrill?” He rubbed the back of his neck innocently.

When the time came for Lucas’ next question, he leaned his elbows on his knees and looked around at the people in the room. “Who is Most Likely to be a pornstar?” His low voice sent tingles to your fingertips.

Such a dirty question from the man you liked so much. That was all it took for your mind to drift off at the thought of Lucas being a pornstar. You imagined him slowly taking off his clothes, and giving you ‘come hither’ eyes. He was so tall, you were sure he had to be packing. His hands would travel down his chest, his solid abdomen, eventually reaching the waistline of his underwear. The ‘V’ line of his hip bones trailing under the fabric.

“Hello? Earth to--”

You snapped out of your trance and realized everyone was waiting for your answer. You cleared your throat and absently voted for Taemin like everyone else.

“I’m the answer to all of these. Why am I the pervy one?” He puffed his cheeks out.

“Well, if the cock ring fits…” Baekhyun joked, making everyone start laughing.

Taemin reached over you to slap Baekhyun’s arm, but you ended up tickling him under his own arm. With a gasp, he sat back and gawked at you. “Excuse me, I’m sensitive!”

“Yeah, sure,” you giggled. Your eyes flickered over to Lucas.

He was watching you again, and you couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy coming from his direction.

After a few seconds, you finally looked over to Ten to see him giving you a suggestive smile. You immediately cursed his existence as he asked the next question.

“Most Likely to sleep with a friend’s friend?”

Fingers from around the room, including your own, pointed to Ten, yet his and Baekhyun’s were pointing to someone else.

Lucas.

Mark burst into laughter. “Lucas?! Yeah, right! This goody two-shoes?!”

Lucas’ face turned red all the way to his ears. “Shut up, Mark. Taeyong, take his drink--”

“NO!” Mark shouted, suddenly downing the rest of the alcohol in his cup.

A moment of chaos broke out as Taeyong and Lucas leapt to get the cup, but it was too late, and everyone else was laughing hysterically.

Meanwhile, your eyes briefly met Ten’s. You glanced to Taeyong, back to Ten, and gave him a knowing smile. “Lucas isn’t the only one most likely, huh?” You whispered. That seemed to shut him up for a moment before you stood and went into the kitchen. Taking a deep breath away from everyone else, you were trying to keep your cool. The way Lucas reacted to that last question, the way he’d been staring at you all night, the way he gently touched your back earlier; Ten was right, Lucas liked you way more than you wanted to acknowledge.

You were ready to give in.

After refilling your drink, you returned to the living room.

Ten beamed at you. “She’s back! Let’s play another game! It’s called ‘Flip Cup’--” He paused, looking at the youngest in the room. “Mark should probably sit this one out, though…”

•••••

3 A.M.

The party had settled about an hour before. The guys were too drunk to go home, so Ten and Lucas helped set them up to sleep in the living room while you changed into the spare set of pajamas you left over here for situations like this. It was also obvious that you were going to stay in Ten’s room.

“I can sleep on the floor,” you had told him after he suggested sharing the bed. It wouldn’t have been the first time.

“...Are you sure?” Ten asked, purely confused.

You nodded, taking a pillow from the bed. You had a plan, and you were just drunk enough to have the confidence to do it.

Luckily, you were too wired to accidentally fall asleep, so you laid on the floor, staring at the ceiling for a while until you were sure Ten was passed out. When you finally built up the courage to get out of your makeshift bed, you carefully stepped over to the door and opened it. Turning your head, you took one final glimpse at your best friend, who was sound asleep, before closing the door. You could hear soft snores coming from the living room as you crossed the hall to Lucas’ room. You stared at the doorknob for a long while.

You had to get out of your head if you were going to do this.

Just fucking do it, you snapped at yourself. Grasping the handle, you twisted the knob and peeked your head into the room.

Lucas was curled up in his blankets, his head tilted to the side where you couldn’t see.

Ever-so slowly, you entered the room and locked the door behind you. It was now or never. Creeping over to his bedside, you lifted the covers and crawled into the bed. You waited a few seconds to see if Lucas would stir, but his steady breathing reassured you that he was fast asleep.

How did you want to do this? His body heat radiated under the blankets and you wanted nothing more than to cuddle up to him. Scooting over, you snuggled into his side and let your hand flitter down his bare abdomen to find solace between his legs. You praised his creator, who blessed him so, while you massaged his length through the sweatpants he wore. It soon twitched to life.

Lucas let out a soft grunt before stirring from his drunken slumber. He slowly turned to look at whoever was touching him, squinting through the darkness to lay eyes on you. You could see the confusion pass through his expression, as if he were wondering if this was some alcohol-induced wet dream.

You flashed him a sweet smile, resting your chin on his shoulder.

“What are you doing?” He quietly croaked, his voice pitchy before he tried to clear the grogginess.

You kept your voice down to tell him, “Ten said Baekhyun said you wanted me. Well, here I am.” You squeezed on his hardening cock, palming it a bit more firmly.

Lucas leaned his head back, sighing with pleasure. He didn’t know whether to curse or praise Baekhyun’s big mouth. A soft groan left him, his hips lifting to meet your hand.

You swallowed hard. There was something about the sounds he was making and the way he was moving that made you want to wreck him. “What exactly was it you wanted from me, baby boy?” You asked, gripping even harder onto him.

Your pet name sent a chill through his body. When he realized just how strong your grip was on his aching cock, trapped inside his sweatpants, Lucas knew you wouldn’t let him beat around the bush. “Everything,” he answered.

You raised a brow. “That’s awfully greedy, and very vague. C’mon, baby, tell me what you want from me?”

Lucas met your sultry gaze through the darkness. “You. I just want all of you,” he replied earnestly. “Since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

Your face felt hot as your hand faltered briefly. “And you’ve kept that a secret? For months?!”

His hips moved to get some kind of friction on his length from your hand. He took a deep breath and nodded. “I thought it was obvious!” He defended before you shushed him.

“You need to be quiet. Everyone’s asleep,” you told him. Pulling the blankets back, you maneuvered yourself to straddle his waist and stared down at him while grinding down on his groin. “I want everything from you, too, Lucas...Let’s make up for lost time.” Your voice was soft, but your words were so sincere that you felt him twitching under you in response to hearing them.

“You have no idea how much I’ve wanted you to say that,” he growled, sitting up to grab the back of your neck. He guided your lips to his and thrust his tongue into your mouth.

You whimpered, taking in every taste of toothpaste and lingering alcohol. You scratched your nails down his chest before playing with the hem of his sweatpants.

“Wait--” Lucas breathed, breaking apart from the kiss. He pulled your shirt up and over your head, tossing it aside as he moved to kiss what skin was revealed of your breasts. His fingertips grazed around your waist and up your back, his touch hot and needy to get you naked as well. He managed to unclip your bra and bit down on the delicate flesh just above one of your nipples while he slipped it off.

Gasping at the sensation, your head fell back while your hips rotated down onto him. “I need you...” The whine slipped from your lips with a desperate yearning. Just hearing your words made him moan out in response, making your hand quickly cover his mouth. You hardly meant the words you were about to say, but you wanted to see his reaction. “We can’t do this if you’re going to be loud. Maybe I should go--”

The panic in his eyes almost made your heart burst with affection. He didn’t have a right to be this cute. “Stay! Stay!” He whispered against your hand. As he pressed his chest against yours, he nudged your hand away to fiercely capture your lips. You could feel in the way he held you, his nails now dragging down into the flesh of your back; he wasn’t going to let you go. You were hopelessly lost in his kiss.

As his fingers traveled lower behind you, they reached your pajama pants and dipped under the fabric to find you weren’t wearing anything underneath. Lucas’ hand slipped even further down to delve its fingers between your sopping wet folds. He let out a heavy breath against the kiss, dipping a tentative finger into your pussy.

Your eyes widened and you shuddered, your breathing just as feverish as you rotated your hips into his touch. His finger swirled around in your juices, and it was muddling your mind. You came into this wanting to wreck him, and suddenly it was very much turning the other way. You pressed your hands on his shoulders, pushing him down onto the bed and breaking from his kiss.

Lucas stared up at you with those bright, puppy-dog eyes. “What’s wrong?” He was nearly breathless.

That made you smile. “I just need more than your finger,” you admitted, helping him rid his sweatpants. When you were perched atop his naked body, you finally saw what you were getting yourself into. Well--more like what was going to get into you. Your mouth fell open a bit, but you quickly shook off your initial shock. Feeling it through pants and seeing it in all its glory were a bit different.

He tried to hold back a smirk, but the way you were looking at him only boosted his ego. He said your name, which snapped you out of your daze. “Is everything okay?” The mock in his voice only irked you.

You nodded, trying to ignore that smug little way he smiled up at you. Licking your lips, you started rubbing your warmth against his cock. As it grazed your clit, you lifted a hand to your mouth to keep back any noise. That felt really good. You grinded down even harder, bringing sighs of ecstasy from both of your mouths. Your hips had built up to a pace that eventually made Lucas growl and flip you over onto your back.

“No more teasing,” he declared, his cock prodding at your entrance. “I can’t take it anymore.”

“Then fuck me, baby boy,” you hissed as you parted your legs even more for him.

Lucas brought you into another kiss to stifle both of your moans as he finally guided his cock into you. It was a tight squeeze, taking a half-dozen minimal thrusts until he had sheathed most of himself inside. Your walls clenched down around him, and it was like he was in heaven on earth. He swallowed every sound that threatened to escape your mouth.

Your legs wrapped around his waist as you clung to his broad frame. When he withdrew his length and gave you his first full thrust, you quickly realized that staying quiet was going to be a real problem.

That thought also occurred to Lucas. He, however, had no intention of holding back anymore. Parting from your lips, Lucas gazed down to see a hopeless look in your expression and smiled. “Mm, you feel so good, sweetheart,” he purred, building up a strong rock of his hips.

You gasped and bit your bottom lip. Your eyes were glued to his. The more he thrust, the harder it became to stay sane. Clapping a hand over your mouth, you panted into your palm.

It was easy to hear the ragged way you were trying to keep some control over your sounds. You were so adorable. He had wanted this for months, and now that you were finally here with him, his bed wasn’t so lonely anymore. He prayed you were enjoying yourself as much as he was. “Is it good for you?” He murmured, nipping a kiss on your forehead.

“Yes,” you rushed under your breath, “yes, yes, yes!” Your hands wove themselves into his hair and attempted to yank him back down to kiss again.

Lucas lowered his head a few inches, just enough to graze your lips before he lifted it again. He waited for a whine of objection before he grinned at you. He sat backward on his haunches and steadily gripped your waist. He wet his lips as he studied the way your bodies met through the shadows. “You’re so fucking beautiful, you know?” He said, not much caring for the volume of his voice. “I can’t get enough…” He leisurely drew his hips back, watching every inch of his dick as it pulled out to its head. He paused just a moment before sliding in as much as he could possibly fit inside you.

You nearly choked on air as he touched you so deeply. Your hands scrambled to grab onto his wrists, as if gripping onto them would get you some semblance of control over the situation, but no. Lucas was in control now.

The seductive smile that met you through the darkness of the room made it quite clear of that.

When you felt him start to work his hips in such a way that was making the head of his cock touch your sweet spot with every caress, you were frantic. You couldn’t hold back the moan that slipped into the air, and you knew the thin walls of the apartment would do nothing to shroud it.

His eyes danced. “Do you like that spot?” He asked with fascination. Giving his next thrust a bit more gusto, you groaned loudly before you could catch yourself. It finally occurred to you what he was doing.

Lucas seemed to have a determination to make you wake the whole freaking apartment.

Not him.

You.

If there was one thing Lucas should know about you by now, though, it was that you were stubborn. You glared at him. “You’re doing this on purpose!” You half-heartedly spat.

His thrusts halted again. “Doing what?” He asked obliviously.

“Trying to wake everyone up!”

He snorted. “Need I be the one to remind you again that YOU woke ME up?!”

You rolled your eyes. “I thought it would be kinky, but you’re just trying to make it awkward for everyone else!”

Running his tongue over his teeth, Lucas let those words hover between you before he abruptly pulled out of you.

Honestly, he could have leaned down, captured your lips again, and kept at it that way, but he came up with a different plan. You wanted kinky, after all… “Fine. You want to stay quiet?” You were in utter confusion before you felt his large hands flip you over onto your stomach. He roughly grabbed your hips and lifted your ass. “Bite the sheets,” he snipped, thrusting back into you with reckless abandon.

Doing what you were told, you clamped your eyes shut and gritted the sheets between your teeth as you struggled to remain silent. Lucas kept up the relentless pace for a few minutes until you heard him curse softly and his hips stutter.

You hadn’t quite built up to your peak yet, so the reality of Lucas meeting his end made your stomach drop.

Until you felt him grip onto your waist even harder and quickly pick the tempo up again.

You were shocked. “D-Didn’t you just come?” You asked over your shoulder.

Lucas wiped some sweat from his forehead. “Yeah, but fuck, you feel so good. I can’t stop,” he grunted, slamming into you. “You said you like it hard, right?”

His stab at what you said earlier in the night had you whimpering, “So hard! God, yes, fuck me hard!”

“Shut up, or else you’ll wake everyone up!” He put pressure on your back and pinned you to the bed. “Unless you want everyone to hear you panting like a bitch in heat over my cock…”

Your jaw fell open as you tried to quickly turn and snap at him, but Lucas had a hand over your mouth before you could say a word.

He leaned over your body to growl into your ear, “Tell me I’m wrong.” He drove his cock as deeply as possible into your clenching cunt. “Tell me you aren’t a writhing mess from me fucking you.” He didn’t give you a chance to answer before he pinched your nose. He continued bucking into you as he cut off your access to oxygen.

Digging your fingers into the sheets below you, it was a frantic attempt to stay conscious as your body finally broke down. Succumbing to his powerful thrusts, you climaxed just before you could black out. Lucas’ hand withdrew from your face in time to keep you awake. Your ears were ringing, you were seeing stars, and your pussy was convulsing around him.

With a groan of pleasure, Lucas rested his head on your shoulder as he came again.

There was a moment of silence that felt more like a high-pitched buzz as the sensation of release hummed through your bodies. Lucas slid out of you just as he slumped onto the mattress beside you. He couldn’t meet your eyes, so he covered his face with his hands instead.

All at once, you felt your senses return to you and you were aware of what was happening. Lucas had laid down and hid himself from you, and you had no clue why. Reaching out for him, you used what strength you had left to reveal the embarrassment on his face. “Are you okay?” You asked, nuzzling his jaw with your nose.

Lowering his hands, with your help, he gaped at you in disbelief. “I should be asking YOU that!” He exclaimed, flipping onto his side. He grabbed your head in his hands and peppered kisses all over your face. “I went overboard, I’m so sorry! I can’t believe I said those things to you!”

You started laughing at his burst of affection. “Lucas, it’s okay,” you laughed, finally catching his lips as they went to peck your cheek. Getting lost in the kiss, you relaxed only when you felt his body start to settle down. Eventually, you pulled away and wrapped your arms around his midsection, burying your face in his chest. “I didn’t realize you were into that…” You said with amusement.

“I don’t know where it came from! You must have brought that out of somewhere in the depths of me,” he joked, lightly scratching his nails up and down your back.

“...I liked it,” you admitted.

A cheesy grin came to his lips, but you were too busy being smothered by his sculpted chest to know it. “...I like you.” His voice was low and sincere.

You giggled and pressed teasing kisses along his collarbone, emphasizing each word. “I. Like. You. More.”

His embrace tightened around you. “I doubt that,” he cooed, pressing a single kiss to the top of your head. A thought occurred to him. “...Ten is going to wonder where you went in the morning, and then what will we tell him?”

“The truth,” you stated simply. “You know, that we’re together now.”

“It’s about time,” he joked, resting his chin against your head.

“Yeah,” you agreed, “it is.”

•••••

Just as things settled down in Lucas’ bedroom, things in the living room were settling as well. Having roused from the sounds coming from down the hall, Jongin, Taemin, Baekhyun and Taeyong were staring at various places around the room with wide eyes. Meanwhile, Mark was passed out, snoring on a futon in the corner of the room. Apparently, he could sleep through anything when he was that drunk.

When it seemed like the main attraction was over, Baekhyun grumbled, “Finally!” And Taemin mumbled something along the lines of, “I can sleep now.” Steady breathing filled the room again.

Everyone else had fallen back asleep, yet Taeyong’s eyes were on the ceiling. He couldn’t stop the thoughts racing through his head. He glanced at the hallway to see a light dimly shining from underneath Ten’s door. He had to be awake too.

If you could be brave, then Taeyong convinced himself he could be as well. He crawled out of his makeshift bed and tiptoed over to Ten’s room. He could do this…

[majorshiraharu]

Discussion of Limitations in Live Action & Style Choices

This will be all spoilers for the new episode of the Mandalorian.  I’m putting it under a cut so no one accidentally gets spoiled. Fair warning it is long af, I tried doing a mix of my opinions and information from the show, films, etc. I tried putting the more opinion parts in italic, might have forgotten some parts tho. I spent way too long on this lmao

--------------SPOILERS BELOW------------------

I'm putting my thoughts for each time I watched it. That way, you can see how rewatching changed my mind some. I also had almost a whole day to process the episode before I watched it again, then I had a few hours to think about it and add to this, and then now I've watched it for the third time. This will be a mix of my reactions and opinions and then some information about The Mandalorian and things I think many people are overlooking. Especially in a time when we have major blockbuster films with pretty amazing CGI and people have come to expect that level of detail in everything. If you don’t want to read my reaction/opinion parts, skip down past “3rd Viewing” (the sectioned area)

1st Viewing When It Dropped; Right After Watching: — Okay honestly not the biggest fan of this Ahsoka, I feel like they could have done a bit better with her lekku, montrals, and the contacts because they kinda took me out of it a few times. She didn't move a lot like Ahsoka, but then again she does move and act more like the Rebels version, so if you haven't seen that I can see how this would be more off-putting. She's much older at this point and probably can't move as well as she used to. Also, I know we've come to expect the effects of high-budget films and their fancy CGI, but this show is not that and I think they truly did the best they could with what they had. I'm too tired now, but will write about that stuff in my second viewing section. Overall, I think in the scenes where she interacted with Mando and the child were very well done and felt like how I thought Ahsoka would be after the journey she had over the past years. Those moments felt like Ahsoka to me, and I really enjoyed. 2nd Viewing; About 16 Hours After First Viewing: — So I took some time today to think about last night's episode, I also decided to hop on social media and see what people's reactions were. I was surprised how on Twitter and Reddit I hardly found anyone who disliked this version, longtime fans, new fans, people who didn't know Ahsoka. It seemed like most people really loved it and were extremely happy to see her in live-action. Some people didn't like the way her lekku & montral looked but otherwise enjoyed it, and then there were a few people who said it didn't feel like Ahsoka to them. Now here's my opinion on the second viewing, I liked her more after watching it again. As mentioned above she's definitely more like her Rebels version, and we have a few years when she and Sabine were out searching for Ezra and Thrawn. We don't know what she's been through but clearly, she's much calmer and wiser, which I think fits, it's not like how she was in Clone Wars but it's been like 25+ ish years, so she's had a lot of time to grow and shouldn’t be the same. The actress who played her was pretty stiff and monotone during more scenes than I would have liked, but all her scenes with Din and the Child were excellent, and felt pretty close to Ahsoka, really liked her in those. The action scenes were very cool at the start. Her fighting style was more like her fighting in Rebels. I would have liked a few more shots of her with her signature lightsaber hold, but they included them during the right moments, so that doesn't really bother me that much. Now for the mostly on Tumblr infamous lekku & montral, on second viewing I didn't mind them as much because it wasn't as shocking. The length should have been longer imho, and they definitely needed to change the montral, that's what I have the only real problem with. The montral just looked too short, was angled back quite far, and yeah, just didn't look like any animated version, concepts, or even any cosplays I've seen. This was the only thing about her that I really just didn't like and bothered me some. 3rd Viewing; Most of my opinions stayed the same, I watched it this time with some of my friends who love Star Wars and one who loves Ahsoka as much as me, so I wanted to see their reaction. They all loved her, tho they agreed the length should have been longer and the top should have been different. But they all really loved the episode and her.

--------------------- Now all that said, here are some counterpoints and information because I thought it was important to look into why it might be that way, and I will also include ways that I think it could have been done better. Besides having some cosplay experience of my own, I have no idea what they went through to pick or make this look, and it could have been always ended up a lot worse. First off they need to consider the actress, the material, how it moves, how heavy it is, how it looks in movement, fight scenes, etc. - There is concept art that shows many types of looks for her, and while I think they picked my least favorite of them, people need to understand that there was a reason. We don't know and may never know, but it was a choice made. Concept art from the end of the episode:

It could have also been that it looked better in person, or that they wanted a distinct look for it in live-action to make it feel more realistic or unique. Here is other concept art of Ahsoka from Rebels and The Clone Wars, Link Here

----------------- Also, many people aren't aware of this, but the Mandalorian is made to look a lot like the OG movies. They specifically try to only use camera angles/ movements from that time. They try to do action that fits the original films style and also is similar to old westerns. They have a very specific look they're going for, and a lot of people don't know this. This also includes the use of miniatures, puppets, and as many realistic things as they can for costumes and the interactive parts of the set. They use CGI and new tech too, but aside from the large screen they use for scenery they seem to only use CGI when it's really needed and not for everything like blockbuster movies or even some shows do, aka they don’t overuse it.

Here are two links for more info on this. They are long but have a lot of cool insight into the show: link for filming style here — link for the tech they use for filming here They have the tech and probably money to have made Ahsoka's lekku & montral CGI, but it was a deliberate choice in style not to do this. Was it a good idea, maybe yes, maybe no, maybe a mix? In Season 1 Chapter 6 of The Mandalorian when they had the Twi’lek Xi’an and I saw how her lekku moved I was concerned for if they ever included lekku in a more prominent role.

As you can kind of see in the above gif, they didn't have enough weight to them and were too foamy/rubbery in their movement. It seems like the same stuff was used for Ahsoka's, which resulted in the same problem. Since we've only known her in animation where they can change things to a much more finite degree, it's off-putting in live-action, and it kinda falls into the uncanny valley which I think is why it's slightly weird to see. If we had seen her in live-action first this probably wouldn't have bothered people as much.

Video Link to show it better

I included the older Clone Wars version of Ahsoka in here because I believe they mixed her looks together to come up with the live-action design. - We saw Shaak Ti in live-action years ago and many people are pointing to that as what they should have gone with for Ahsoka. A reminder that was done for a film, not a TV show, so there will be differences in quality and style. I do think they could have used that as a model to base Ahsoka on, they should have access to old headpiece unless it just deteriorated with time. Here’s a video that includes behind the scenes looks of Shaak Ti, Youtube Link Here  

Also here’s a look of Ayla from the Prequels and from the original trilogy of the Jaba palace Twi’lek to compare how they look with the Twi’lek in the Mandalorian.

I think the original trilogy looked better than the lekku in The Mandalorian so if they’re using similar material to keep it more fitting to that time, maybe they need to make them longer to hold more weight and look like actual flesh and not foamy rubber.

They could have also gone the route of making different headpieces with other material depending on what they were being used for. Again it's a TV show, not sure if they have the time or money to do this or think it's worth it for just one episode. But they could have had one made of that foamy material for action scenes, and then one that looked more like Shaak Ti's for scenes where she just talked or moved some. Honestly, this would have been their best option, and as far as I can tell, that wasn't done. I see people mention they could have done no action or less action and made better lekku, but there are already people complaining that there wasn't enough action or movement in her action scenes. You can't please everyone, and I think they struck a good balance.

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

Other opinions of mine on her live-action version. I think Ashley Eckstein should have been the one to play Ahsoka in live-action, or I think they should have dubbed the voice. The actress playing her in this wasn't bad, but honestly, she brought nothing new to the role and didn't do enough to capture the smaller nuances of Ahsoka's character. Some of these problems could have been fixed by dubbing her voice, even if she didn't move or look like how people wanted Ahsoka to in live-action, having her voice would have made a big difference. I don't know if Ashley was brought in on this; she hasn't mentioned anything as far as I have seen. I would find it strange if she wasn't involved since Dave and her are friends. Both really love the character, but he doesn't have full control over the show and maybe she wasn't made a part of it for one reason or another. But if she wasn’t, I think that was a bad choice, she’s the one who brought her to life in the Clone Wars.  -  I also think that we don't always need a big name or famous person playing a character, we could have a dubbed voice and had someone performing it who was a stunt woman or an actor who isn't as well known, this has been done in Star Wars before. 

Also look at this cute cosplay of Ashley as Ahsoka:

--------------------- TLDR: Lekku and Montral are not easy to make or look real, I think the creators did the best they could with the style they try to achieve (again we don’t know behind the scenes stuff or their choices), there is stuff that could have maybe improved the look. Many people don’t understand the amount of work that goes into something like this and that sometimes choices are made for a design that you may not like, but that doesn’t make it wrong. Art is a creative thing which includes taking risks, putting a unique spin on something that exists, and sometimes making choices that not everyone will like.

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

But still I’m happy we got to see live action Ahsoka and I’m glad she was able to bring joy to so many people. I’ve watched the Clone Wars since I was a kid and have always loved Ahsoka and while I have my nitpicks about her live action version, overall, I think they did a good job. I was disappointed at first, but now not so much, and instead I just view her as a different version and that she’s unique in her own ways. I remember when Rebels Ahsoka came out a lot of people hated that version, personally I loved it, there are aspects of her design I didn’t like as much tho.

I also feel this was her only appearance in The Mandalorian, I don’t think she will return again, as far as the story goes, I don’t think there is a need for her to return either. I personally would prefer to have Ahsoka stay as an animated character if she got her own show, animation suits her better and has fewer limitations for the creators.

[pauladchnd2c]

Something Told Research

Conceptual still life photography

Tips:

1. Choose Subjects that Speak to You

What you photograph is completely up to you. Have a search around the house to see if you can find something simple but interesting to start with. Please don’t feel like you have to take photos of fruit or flowers just because everyone else does: think outside the box without being overly ambitious.

If when you’re out and about something catches your eye, take it home with you (don’t steal it!) or make a note of it so as to remember to try photographing it in a still life context. Try to avoid reflective surfaces such as glass and metal to begin with, as they will be extremely difficult with regards to lighting. Once you’ve mastered the single object shots, try mixing it up, combine objects of contrasting shape, colour, texture and see what you can come up with.

2. Get Comfortable with Light and Lighting

Lighting doesn’t have to be expensive. I know certainly for me that a set of studio lights aren’t really within my budget, so for still life shoots I need to utilize all the light I can get my hands on, and that often means sunlight.

Remember that you have full control over the shoot, so if you want, find a room in which you can block out all natural light by using shutters or curtains, this way you will have complete control over the light upon your subject.

Using standard table lamps can work extremely well if used effectively. Be sure to try multiple positioning set ups, not all light has to come from the front of the object, side and back lighting will add interest, shadows and depth to the shot. Alternatively, choose a room that is well lit via a window, and use this to your advantage. The natural light from one side will comprehensively light your subject and you can compliment this with a lamp or reflector.

3. Get a Good Tripod and Work Your Angles

Depending on your lighting situation, you may or may not need to use a tripod and shutter release. I would recommend using these as they will allow you to observe and work with your subject matter. This set up will also allow you to use slightly longer shutter speeds than usual to ensure a small aperture allowing the image to be in focus front to back, if you so choose.

However, please don’t let a static camera stifle your creativity, it quickly gets forgotten that your camera has been sat in the same position for the whole shoot. Be sure to vary the angles and heights at which you are shooting. Otherwise, before you know it, you’ll have a whole collection of shots all take from the same point with little or know variation. Mix it up a bit. Try shooting at the level of the subject or try a bird’s eye view, looking down onto the subject, but be careful if you are moving around not to cast any shadows on your subject!

4. Get the Backdrop Right

Having a suitable backdrop for your subject matter will play a crucial role in the overall success of your shots. It’s best to keep it nice and simple, so it doesn’t interfere with your subject. A plain painted wall or a large sheet of white or plain colored paper would be ideal.

Think about how your choice of background contrasts the subject, do you want a neutral background, or are there tones that may work in complimenting the shades within your subject. For smaller objects, you may not need a backdrop as such, but instead require a surface to place the items on, for which something like black velvet is ideal, as it absorbs light and looks like a solid black surface.

5. Compose the Shot

The compositional element of your still life work is an absolutely crucial part of ensuring that your work is engaging and unique. Consider the rule of thirds, how can that be applied to your shoot to create a strong composition. Ensure there are no distractions within the frame, just the subject and the backdrop.

Be sure to vary the composition of the subject matter through the shoot and think outside the box. Where are you leading the eye within the image? Are you utilizing negative space or might it work to try and fill the frame? Engage with the subject, what are its defining features? What is it used for? Are you able to put it into context or does it work as a stand alone subject?

6. Take All Day Over It, If You Need

I often find that my mentality surrounding a shoot is dependent on the reason for the shoot. If I am simply taking photos for pleasure or for myself (as opposed to being assigned work by somebody else), I will be less stringent with ensuring that all the aspects of the shoot are as well executed as they can be. This is obviously a bad habit that am aiming to shed, but when it comes to still life photography, there is no reason not to get it right. You have as much time as you need to do a good job!

Unlike a landscape shoot, the light isn’t rapidly changing and unlike a portrait, you’re subject isn’t going to get bored of keeping still for long periods of time. Take advantage of this, set up your subject, lighting, backdrop and camera, try a few shots, then move things around a bit and have another go. If you get to a point where you feel like things aren’t going quite right, you can just leave everything set up, make yourself a cup of tea and come back to it refreshed later on.

Another advantage is that there’s no excuse not to have clean and sharp images, take time to get the lighting and focus just right. If you can get your hands on one, a macro lens will be ideal for this sort of work, however, if not, try selecting macro mode on your camera to give you the best chance of capturing the close up detail in your subject.

7. Get Inspired by the Masters

If you’re struggling with the lighting, composing or structuring of your shots, then you need to find some inspiration, and where better to look than to the original still life masterpieces of years gone by. Have a search online for renaissance still life artists and observe the elements of the pieces.

Studying these paintings will help you to think about form, shades and how the colors work together and will hopefully give you a few ideas on how you can shape your photography work to form strong and engaging images.

8. Develop Your Eye for Still Life Scenes

Now it’s time for you to have a go yourself. Find a quiet day in your schedule and set aside some time to practice. Try setting up your camera and backdrop by a suitably light spot next to a window and get snapping!

Once you’ve mastered the basics, try getting creative, experiment with camera angles, lighting angles and alternative light sources such as candles and lamps. You could even try getting creative with apertures and use a f/1.8 prime lens to achieve an artistic shallow focus. However, if you take one thing from this tutorial, let it be this: still life photography does not have to be of fruit and flowers! Find some unique and inspiring subject matter that gets you excited and start shooting!

9. Perfect Your Post-Production Process

Working with your pictures after the shoot shouldn't feel like a chore. It should be fun!

Photoshop actions are often touted as a great time-saver, but to my mind the biggest advantage they give you is a highly repeatable workflow. Instead of having to work through all the steps from scratch, and action makes a set of choices for you, then you teak and adjust to make things perfect.

https://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/10-tips-to-get-started-with-still-life-photography--photo-8278

Some examples:

Liam J Curtin

Dave Bradley

[elcorhamletlive]

fandom: MCU ship: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark tags: Crack/Fluff/Humor

(inspired by this post)

“How are we doing, J?”

“Everything in order, Sir.” The robotic voice of the A.I. echoed on the room. “The laser is ready for activation.”

Tony turned on his chair, eyeing the monitor. There it was, right on the wall, in all his star-spangled glory: Captain America, also known as Steve Grant Rogers, also known as Tony Stark’s biggest nemesis.

As a villain, Tony wasn’t a big believer in maintaining long-term rivalries with heroes. He had heard enough horror stories of villains who got so caught up in defeating their counterparts their plans ended up slacking, turning lazy. Having a designated hero to fight could seem simpler in the surface, but in the long term, it just got messy. And if there was one thing Iron Man, twice-named most influential villain of the world by People’s magazine (take that, Gotham city), definitely didn’t need, was for his plans to get messy because of heroes who couldn’t stop sticking their noses where they didn’t belong.

However.

The Captain had been a different case. They came across each other by complete coincidence – Tony was running a very common world domineering plot, definitely not one of his most inspired works, and the Captain showed up with a few people from his team, What’s-His-Name and What’s-His-Name-With-Wings. To Tony’s surprise, the Captain cracked the steps of his plan easily, managing to surprise him when he marched into Tony’s lair, shield in hand, strong posture and confident voice as he turned his azure eyes towards Tony and proclaimed: Nowhere to run, Iron Man.

It had been rivalry at first sight.

Tony tried to fight it, but as time went by, it was impossible to ignore. Captain America was the embodiment of everything Tony disliked – he was a model hero, fighting for freedom, justice, and protecting and helping the weaker. He fought against Tony’s evil plans so valiantly: He’d charge into battle majestically, stronger and braver than any hero Tony had ever seen, and Tony would feel a rush inside his chest, presumably of joy of finally finding a worthwhile opponent. Other costumed clowns had attempted to stop Tony before, of course, but none of them had ever succeeded, and none of them were able to catch Tony’s intere- Ahem, hatred, the way the Captain did.

Tony rested his chin on his hands, watching as the Captain struggled on the table. It had taken a while to get him there. He had fought Tony’s bots admirably. It was always such an incredible display of a mix of grace and power, the way the man moved, effortlessly defeating enemies Tony knew an army would have a hard time dealing with.

Now, though, he was trapped, held down by separate gauntlets of Tony’s suits. Still, he didn’t give up, constantly struggling. Always so stubborn. Tony took a sharp breath, taking in the Captain’s endless determination. God, he was so…

“Sir?” Jarvis’ voice interrupted his thoughts. “Perhaps you should proceed with the plan?”

Oh. Oh yeah. The plan. Tony pushed a button on his panels, activating the laser beam. It was programmed to keep moving through the room, starting at the wall on the far end opposite to where the Captain was trapped, until it reached him. The energy levels were lethal – not even a super soldier would be able to survive it.

“Five minutes now, Cap,” Tony said on the mic. It had been a fairly clichéd plan, he had to admit – the good old oh no, there’s a bomb in the building – oops, not really, and now you’re trapped in my lab play. But Tony preferred to think of it as a classic.

The Captain frowned, scrunching his nose. It was cute, in a very hateful way. Tony adjusted his HD resolution of the video feed to see better.

He was pleased by the fact that his choice of an underground isolated bunker had, apparently, been processed by the Who-Cares-If-It-Even-Has-A-Name organization the Captain worked for as a stealth mission. That meant the Captain was wearing his stealth suit, the dark-blue uniform that fitted his body perfectly. That was just according to Tony’s plan, because the suit made the Captain look… Very, uh, very…

Vulnerable to Tony’s evil weapons. Yeah, that was it.

“Iron Man.” The Captain looked around, immediately finding the main camera. Tony bit his lower lip. So fucking smart. The bastard. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“Oh, come on, Cap, you’ve got better lines than this.” Tony grinned, making sure the monitor camera was catching his best angle. He had spent a long time trimming his goatee in the morning and picking out a lovely red tie that he knew complimented his skin tone.

What? Looking good for one’s nemesis was basic courtesy.

For a moment, the Captain didn’t say anything. His expression was a bit strange, but his body kept struggling (Jesus, that suit was fitted. Whoever designed the uniforms at Don’t -Give-a-Fuck-About-The-Place was a pervert).

“I just don’t understand why you keep doing this,” The Captain said. His voice was strangely low, as if he was thinking aloud.

Tony felt confused. The laser had moved a few inches by now, and, while no self-respecting hero would ever cave into full terror, Tony expected a more enthusiastic response. A rivalry was a two-way street, and, in order to allow it to bloom, Tony needed the Captain’s feedback to his plans. Some amount of fear or tension was to be expected, while facing a respectable villain plot. However, for someone who would die in less than five minutes if they didn’t find a way to get untied, the Captain seemed almost… Calm.

Tony frowned. Could the Captain be… Bored? The thought made Tony’s stomach clench. Sure, it wasn’t the most original plan in the book, but Tony had thought the execution would be enough to provide a good challenge. Had he misread it? Maybe the Captain wasn’t very intrigued by the classic villain aesthetic. Suddenly, Tony wished he had shaved his goatee.

“I’m a villain, that’s what I do, buddy,” Tony blurted, and, God, that was such terrible banter. What was he doing? At this rate, the Captain wouldn’t want to deal with his schemes in the future anymore. God, he’d probably send the Wings guy to handle Tony – or, worse, he’d move on to attempt to defeat all those other classless, tacky villains who kept fighting for his attention, like that ridiculous Batroc or the creeper with the red face. None of them were good enough to provide the Captain with a decent challenge, they’d just hold him back.

The Captain’s expression was impossible to read. “You know, Iron Man, with a mind like yours, you could actually do some good.”

The compliment sent a burst of relief over Tony’s chest. His face was also strangely warm, presumably because of a healthy amount of purely professional pride. “Well, Cap, I think we both know that-“

“What is this table made of?”

Tony raised his eyebrows. The Captain had never seemed curious about his design choices before.

“The trap table is perfectly covered by the softest synthetic material, originated from pure Peruvian cotton,” Jarvis chimed in.

Tony wished he hadn’t said anything. Jarvis had argued against the changes to the table, saying it would be a waste of time resources, but that was a total overreaction, Tony thought. Sure, he had spent some money on it – yeah, maybe a few thousand more than it was strictly necessary, but, well, it wasn’t like he had to save on infrastructure. Besides, the other table had been so… Cold and impersonal. This time, the Captain was going to be held down for a while. There was no point in making it uncomfortable. Tony wasn’t a monster.

“It’s really soft,” the Captain whispered. “Softer than last time.”

“Uh,” Tony said. “Thanks,” he blurted, for some reason, and the Captain’s mouth curved in a smile. Tony felt a weird rush on his chest, and looked away, checking the timer. “Three minutes now, buddy.”

To his complete surprise, the Captain sighed. “Is this really necessary?”

Tony blinked. “What?”

“This.” the Captain apparently tried to move his arms to gesture around, but the armor secured him further. “I’m trapped. Can’t you just shoot me?”

Tony’s eyes widened. “I. Uh, that’s…” He said, his head spinning. What was the Captain talking about? And why wasn’t he focusing on disabling the laser bean?

“Uh,” Tony cleared out his throat, attempting to gather his thoughts. “Not that I wouldn’t love to melt you immediately, Spangles, but unfortunately, there’s not enough energy to make the laser move faster.”

“Actually, sir, there is,” Jarvis interjected. “We could easily revert the power used in other less necessary functions.”

“What?” Tony asked, feeling betrayed. “Less necessary functions? What less necessary functions?”

Tony had the impression that, if Jarvis could grit his teeth, he would have. “Superficial features, sir.”

“Such as?”

“The ambient music, the water fountain on the background, and the artistic lightning system set up to hit Captain Rogers’ hair.”

Oh. Tony blinked slowly. “Those… Those are aesthetic choices. They… They’re important.”

On the screen, the Captain’s mouth curled again. It was really distracting.

“In fact, sir, they aren’t,” Jarvis said, sound strangely tired. “Removing them would allow us to use their power to force the laser bean to move more efficiently, killing Captain Rogers instantly.”

“Wow, wow, wait a minute,” Tony said. “There’s no need to do that. I mean,” He scrambled his brain for something say. “It’s… It’s more fun to watch him going down slowly.”

Giving Jarvis the ability to sigh was a mistake. “Sir, the plan is bound to fail.”

“What? No, it isn’t. He’s trapped.”

“No, he isn’t,” Jarvis insisted. “If he manages to wriggle his body slightly to the left, he will be within the magnetic reach of his shield, allowing him to summon it and get rid of the gauntlets restraining him.”

“Jarvis!” Tony exclaimed. “You’re – how can you…”

“I think what Jarvis means,” the Captain interjected. ”Is that you’re not really trying to kill me. If you were, you’d have already done it.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Jarvis traitorously replied. “Sir, not only could you easily kill Captain Rogers now, but you could have killed him at least a hundred and eight times during the past month.” As Tony gaped in indignation, he added: “I’m afraid this situation can’t keep going any longer. It is against the principles of my programming to keep designing deliberately inefficient plants, sir.”

“Deliberately– what are you implying– He is my mortal enemy, of course I’m trying to kill him–“

“Well,” the Captain interrupted, sounding strangely casual. “I’m not trying to kill you,” His blue eyes looked away from the camera, fixating in the ceiling, while a slight smile formed on his lips. “Haven’t even been really trying to arrest you, lately.”

Tony stared at the monitor in complete shock. “What? No way,” He babbled. “You – you live for arresting bad guys.”

“Yeah,” the Captain nodded. “But you’re not really a bad guy, are you? I mean,” – he turned back to the camera, with an almost amused expression – “you don’t target anyone except me. And none of your plans ever hurt any civilians.”

Tony felt his face warming. “What the hell are you talking about? You don’t see me as threat, Rogers?”

“To the world? No. Not at all.”

“Then why the hell are you still here?”

To Tony’s surprise, a slight flush spread over the Captain’s cheeks. It… Wasn’t a bad look on him.

“To be honest, fighting your evil plans is the most fun I’ve ever had in this century. I… I’m not very good at relaxing.” He said, a little sheepish. “But decrypting your codes, fighting your bots, figuring out your schemes… Makes me really happy.”

Oh. Oh.

Tony’s hand touched his chest. Was he… Was that really what seemed to be happening?

“Your hero antics make me happy too,” He managed to say, his eyes finding the Captain’s through the monitor. “I… I like your catchphrases.”

“I like your monologues,” The Captain replied, with a gorgeous smile on his lips.

“I like your inspiring speeches,” Tony blurted. He felt the Captain’s eyes staring deeply into his through the screen, his heart fluttering on his chest under that deep blue gaze…

“Thirty seconds for the laser to reach Captain Rogers’ body, sir.”

“Oh, shit,” Tony said, snapping back to reality abruptly, reaching forward to turn off the gauntlets, which loosened their grip on the Captain’s limbs, letting him go. “Sorry, Cap.”

“Call me Steve,” he said, that lovely flush on his cheeks deepening slightly. “I’d, uh. I’d really like that.”

“Steve,” Tony echoed, a bit ridiculously, true, but the name sounded wonderful leaving his mouth. “You, uh. You can call me Tony, too. If you want to.”

Steve stood up, facing the camera. He pressed his lips together, seeming a little giddy, when noise started coming from his comm device. Tony immediately regretted not breaking it. “Well. I guess I should be going now,” he said, picking up his shield from the floor.

“Oh.” Tony said, a little disappointed. “Okay. I guess I… Will see you on my next evil plan?”

“Yeah,” Steve breathed. “Though, uh…” He bit his lower plush lip, making Tony forget the basic fundaments of human language. “Maybe your next evil plan could be, hm, this Friday? There’s a restaurant a couple blocks from Shield that’s very, uh… vulnerable.”

“Sounds great. Yeah,” Tony blurted, and Steve’s face brightened wonderfully. “I could start putting my evil schemes in motion at around… Seven?”

“Seven, seven works,” Steve nodded, a bit breathless.

Tony grinned wildly. “This time, Captain,” He said, exaggerating his voice in a cartoonish tone. “You won’t be able to get away from me.”

He was expecting Steve to laugh, but as he turned, his smile was more sly than anything. “I’m counting on it.”

[flynn-science]

Ryan Reacts to Kingdom Hearts 3

Okay, so this is a mix of live reactions and post-world reactions. Lot of live reactions in the beginning and end, more sporadic in between. You can probably guess what I’m reacting to most of the time from the sequence of events.

Mmm dat orchestral Don’t Think Twice Needed a minute on the menu. Finally seeing it say KH3 was A Lot. HOLY FUCK WHAT A COOL INTRO The speed is the same as 0.2, with that sprint that kicks in. Will take some getting used to. The stained glass looks gorgeous though Nice touch of KH1 Sora’s jump animation changing to KH2 Sora’s Making choices again like the original. Vitality is probably health, Wisdom is probably magic, and Balance is, well, balanced. I’ll go balanced. (I’m on Proud, btw) Guardian, Warrior, Mystic. Same as the weapons in KH1. In that case, I’ll make the same choice I do there: Guardian. SORA HAS AN IDLE ANIMATION OH MY GOD BLOCK AND DODGE FROM THE START! Also this sky place is new for a Dive to the Heart (AND THOSE HOOOORNS, LISTEN TO THEM) The water looks great A four-hit combo instead of the usual three? Huh Scan from the start too Nice detail of Sora’s head angling towards the locked on target All this music sounds SO GOOD I’MMA NEED THIS SOUNDTRACK ONCE I’M DONE Ahhh that little soft version of Sora’s theme WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS KINGDOM HEARTS II.9 SHIT These Instagram-style posts on loading screens are adorable Oh damn, we get a LOT of abilities from the start. And this is on Proud! Dodge Roll, Air Slide, Aerial Dodge (formerly a Master Form ability), plus all the Flowmotion stuff Wow, THREE shortcut menus! 12 total! Wow, and a LOT more control over how allies use items. That can be very useful! Sweet, synthesis materials are back! Water is an interesting new spell. And being able to reorder the Magic menu is nice (though I only use shortcuts). Kinda glad the item art has stayed the same. Also hey, Wellspring is from BBS. And first AP Boost of course goes into Sora, as will they all. WOW USING THOSE IS WAY FASTER NOW Yooo that Underworld music with the Titans’ appearance Take a shot every time someone says “Sora, Donald, Goofy” Sora, Donald, Goofy counter: 1 HERCULES HAS JOINED THE PARTY “Team Effort: Always start battles with a team attack command.” Damn, what are those that this ability is FIFTY AP?! (Are team attacks that move we saw Sora and Goofy do in a trailer? The throw?) I like that tutorials are playable at any time Also I was worried Save Points might not return with that auto save message at the start ALSO THIS IS NIGHT OF FATE PLAYING IN THE COMBAT TUTORIAL Ooh, Panacea art is nice. (Panacea has only appeared as a command in games like BBS and re:coded, so it hasn’t had art before) *reads Ability Ring* Damn, if 10 AP is a SMALL boost, I can’t imagine how expensive abilities are gonna get (well, Herc does have that one 50 AP ability) Ultima Weapon returns, looks like Synthesis recipes are based more on collector’s goals than finding them. Looks like there’s 60 synthesis materials, sounds about right. Ooh, synthesis item rarities, types: soothing and pulsing are from BBS, writhing, betwixt, sinister are new. Looks like everything goes in Shards, Stones, and Gems. Ooh that’s a lot of Heartless. Hey when is Jiminy gonna show up? Gonna need to complete that Journal again. Oooh battle music has bits of the old Coliseum battle music. Sora, Donald, Goofy counter: 2 Environmental fire damage followed by Sora’s butt on fire limiting my actions. Neat. Okay, these have been live reactions so far, but I’m gonna stop doing that because it’s slowing my progress. “What the heck is Rage Form?” “OH. OH THAT’S A THING.” I keep seeing hidden Mickeys, I bet those are gonna be a thing with the camera once I get it. Also damn are they giving me a lot of ingredients for the cooking minigame I can’t play yet. So the biggest thing I’ve noticed about the new combat is that because they give you so many really powerful abilities (grand magic at higher levels, formchanges, attractions, team attacks) that are all basically free (are you hitting things with your keyblade or magic? Can you hit this specific enemy once? Can you wait for your teammate to give you a prompt?), the number of enemies in each fight seems to have SIGNIFICANTLY increased from previous entries. KH2’s level design this is NOT. Lots more nooks and crannies to search. Me approaching the gates of Olympus: “Is this Anor Londo?” Yay nostalgic Coliseum music! And oooh little environmental puzzles are back! Like from KH1! I forged Goofy a new shield! Aaaand playable Riku. I have no idea why they were so dodgy about the second playable character. This is only the third time Riku’s been playable. Anyway, gotta fight the Demon Tower again. Damn, Riku is WAY stronger than Sora right now. Wish I could have read his abilities (and moved shortcuts). Nice emulation of the death screen. Also hot damn, is that Repliku talking??? I guess Riku’s “other me” really could be Repliku. Awwwww yeah, Lea’s getting new clothes too! YEAH JIMINY! “Dream Heartbinder” So Heartbinders must be this game’s summon gems, and this one lets me use Dream Eaters. SORA’S THEME IS THE RINGTONE!!! Ienzo’s here, with a bit of OrgXIII music from CoM. HOLY SHIT THE GUMMI SHIP IS THE BEST IT’S EVER BEEN UPGRADEABLE KEYBLADES?! I guess that makes sense, considering they all have different formchanges. They want all of them to stay viable throughout the game. OH MY GOD, DEMON TIDE HAS SO MUCH HEALTH I guess the bosses have to with all these powerful attacks I have Does Hayner have a new voice? Olette sounds different too. Checked the wiki, all three have different actors. Pence sounds closest to his original though. So judging by the Dusks and Snipers, no more enemy-specific reaction commands. The Ducklings sell Gummi blocks now?? Huh. Whoa wait, the road out of Twilight Town’s Tram Common leads back to the world map? Can I NOT go to the clock tower in this game?? Man, Twilight Town felt really small. Hope the remaining worlds don’t, though they’ve certainly seemed significantly larger than the two I’ve been to so far. Also, totally called the Lucky Emblems, though I’m gonna keep calling them hidden Mickeys. I think Tou Story is my favorite world. Granted, I’ve only been to three, but still. The Gigas are super fun, Woody and Buzz look amazing, and I can’t stop whistling/humming along! AHHH CREEPY DOLL Lol, the Verum Nox poster even has a Square Enix logo. First death, the Gigas battle in the video game. GOD DAMN! WOODY dropping an amazing “The Reason You Suck” speech to Xehanort! “Unless you’re in the ~real~ Organization too? Good for you!” Damn, Sora! Also love hearing that music from Chain of Memories every so often Glad flowmotion’s jump isn’t as level-breaking as it was in DDD. Same goes for the attacks. Wow, so Rapunzel permanently leaves the party. Was wondering they’d just give her a different moveset like with Mulan/“Ping”. This is the first time a character permanently leaves your party. And of course, Marluxia. Who I didn’t think could or would return. And Vexen who rejoined willingly, which is, man. Not something I’d have done. Both Norted of course. And was Saïx missing his scar? Maybe he’s just Isa now. I could tell it was Unversed, and Flood specifically, in that first Monstropolis cutscene just from the sound of them spawning. That’s how I know I’ve put a lot of hours into this series. Monstropolis feels the most linear so far. Arendelle’s ice labyrinth is awesome, the level design gives me some light Dark Souls vibes. I like how there’s zero explanation for Sora, Donald, and Goofy being able to breathe underwater in The Caribbean. And by that I mean I would have liked even just one line to explain it. The ship combat isn’t as good as AC3’s and AC4’s, but it’s still pretty good for a one-world mechanic! The ship is a LOT more responsive than the AC ones. And damn, is this world open. Okay, San Fransokyo is gonna be a pain to search for chests and Mickeys. PRESS TRIANGLE TO SORA IS THE BEST REACTION COMMAND I HAVE EVER SEEN Jiminy telling people about summaries on the gummiphone is Square Enix saying “IF YOU DIDN’T PLAY THE GAMES, READ THE FUCKING SUMMARIES” Giant battle at the start of Keyblade Graveyard was cool, but hurt the frames, especially on the fake shadows. And just as I was getting hyped at the possibility of having Riku and Aqua as party members. Oh hey, just realized Riku’s keyblade has a Mickey keychain now too. “And so, as legend foretold, darkness prevailed and light expired...” “Your hearts will be torn from your bodies” “To move through time, you must leave your body behind.” THE FINAL WORLD?! Wait, Sora’s been here MULTIPLE times?? Okay, so the star talking about the person who’d miss them, whose heart has been taken by another’s? Strelitzia? Talking about Lauriam? Love and hate? Going back for fight after fight? Hm. Cloud or Sephiroth maybe? (Longshot, but it doesn’t sound like a khux character, or anyone else) Identical pair? There’s no twins in this series. Like walking alongside a mirror... maybe it’s not an literal identical nature? Same clothes, same food, maybe Xion?? “Nothing left to teach you”? Damn, that’s not much to go on. Maybe Eraqus’ and Xehanort’s master?? “Just friends... stepped back” Skuld maybe? “I’m gone... they’ve added another member” Could that be Xion? Wait, no, how could Xion be here, she’s still within Sora’s heart. Are these actual named characters we’ve met before? Or not? The one who was defeated and supposed to fade... Repliku?? But he’s with Riku now... Someone searching for their Papa??? Most of the characters in this series don’t have parents at all, so my only guess here is Pinocchio?? No way a Disney character ends up here though. I don’t think all of these are characters we know. Someone holding onto a sliver of memory, and a servant?? Yeah, these could all just have been ordinary people. Naminé?! What happened to Kairi??? Okay, so the darkness split them. KAIRI IS KEEPING SORA FROM FADING AWAY OH MY HEART “GO TO HER” SHE SAYS "That's not the official thank-you!" Lol Damn, this area is fuckin huge, why is it so huge?? A PORTAL?! A DDD PORTAL HERE?! Well this place is rad. I better see that weird Darkside at some point here OOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH OH IT ROTATES THAT'S FUCKIN SICK God damn, this game's got some of the best level design of the series! Is... is this OUR Chirithy? “He doesn’t remember the past”? Although I guess it could be Marluxia/Luxord/Demyx’s too. Or Ven’s. My bet is that it’s Ven’s. DID SORA JUST TIME JUMP BACK A FEW MINUTES??? Aaaand did nothing different. So now we’re world-hopping like we did back in End of the World. OH WHAT IS THIS DIVING INTO STATIONS TO PICK A WORLD?!?! YOOOOOOOO Just Kairi and Lea are left. Haven’t hit San Fransokyo or Twilight Town yet. Guess they must be in those two. Last one is San Fransokyo. Lea must be here. Kairi’s probably gonna be the last. “Traversing hearts to reach worlds” That must be what I’ve been doing here. Not jumping between worlds, jumping between HEARTS. Was Sora just considering telling her he loves her? He should have. Wait, am I back in time? This already happened... OH SHIT! THE LINGERING WILL IS HERE! EPHEMER! OHHHHHHH HO HO WOW! OHHHHHH FUCK! YOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Congrats to all the lucky people who got their names in the game! PRESS TRIANGLE TO UNION X GIANT SHADOW MASTER XEHANORT IS TERRIFYING I like how Axel is holding his keyblade by the guard instead of the handle OH SHIT MASTER YEN SID! YOOOOOO! Okay KH3, I want to fight thirteen bosses now, you hear me? DAMN that Ancient Light finisher on Starlight’s Second Form is STRONG YOOOOOOO THREE BOSSES AT ONCE??? (I really hope this is as tough as they were before, but seeing as Xemnas was harder in 1 than in 2, doubt it) Went to help Mickey first, so I’m taking on Marluxia, Luxord, and Larxene Oh come ooooon, I barely got to fight them! Luxord’s out, 12 to go OH SHIT THE OTHER TWO Larxene’s done, 11 to go. With XI conveniently up next. Marluxia’s defeated once again. 10 left. Hey whatever happened with that comment of their ancient keyblade legacy...? Xigbar... might be gone? So maybe 9 left. Dark Repliku is defeated, and light Repliku gave himself up so the Replica could be used for Namine. That’s sweet. 8 left. YO actual time of day change! I like the door switches. Nice having little environmental things like this. Hm, Kairi and Lea one way, Aqua and Ven the other. Well that’s no contest, gotta go back up my girl Kairi! Mysterious new hooded figure??? Oh. Oh no. I think it’s Xion. D: Yeah. It’s her. *Xion stops Xemnas “YEYEYEYEYEYEYEYEYEYYE YEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHH” *Roxas shows up “OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH FUCK” THE WHOLE GANG’S HERE YOOOOOOOOOOO Shout outs to Ienzo, Ansem, Vexen, and Demyx for helping Roxas return! WHY THE FUCK IS KAIRI GETTING KIDNAPPED A-FUCKING-GAIN, NOMURA WHY WAS SHE EVEN TRAINING, FUCK Okay, so Kairi and Lea/Axel are out, BUT ROXAS AND XION ARE IN OH HOLY SHIT, SORA SQUAD FORM UP!!!! I HAD TO STOP AND LISTEN TO THE MUSIC FOR A MINUTE It’s all three of their themes! (Plus a bit of Another Side) THIS IS THE HYPEST SHIT Aww, Saix’s death mirrors Xion’s. AND THE SEA-SALT TRIO REUNITE! Saix is out, 7 left. Xion turned, 6 left. Vanitas fades again, 5 left. I know some people had hoped for a heel-face turn, but I knew it wasn’t likely. WHAT TERRA’S HEART WAS IN ANSEM’S GUARDIAN THIS WHOLE TIME. THAT THEORY WAS RIGHT! Terra-nort’s back to just Terra. 4 left. Just wanna say, I love that it’s Sora who gets to turn the tides of all these fights. Who’s dull and ordinary NOW, huh?? AND he’s still going! Oh boy, time for a triple Xehanort fight! UMMM NINE KEYS (but why are they No Name and not the X-blade?) OOOOOOOHHHHHHH THIS BLEND OF ANSEM, XEMNAS, AND YOUNG XEHANORT'S THEMES Guardando Nel Buio, Darkness of the Unknown, and Impeto l’Oscurito 1V3 ME, I'LL TAKE YOU ALL ON Young Xehanort returns to his time. 3 left. I like how we all agree to pause the fight whenever someone falls. Xemnas fades. 2 left. Ansem as well. Just 1 darkness left. WHAT THE FUCK, KAIRI NOOOOOOOOOOOO AH SHIT HE’S GOT THE X-BLADE AH SHIT HE’S GOT KINGDOM HEARTS Oh hey, everyone’s caught up. Donald: “You can’t do anything without us, Sora.” Me: “Donald, shut the FUCK UP.” Xion: “Kairi will be alright.” Me: “OH THANK GOD” Scala ad Caelum. Stairway to Heaven. It looks like a proto-Land of Departure. But the music is Case of the Foretellers from X Back Cover. Could this place and Land of Departure once have been Daybreak Town? Damn, Dark Kingdom Hearts is over the ENTIRE Keyblade Graveyard now Spooky twelve figures are spooky Why do they have the Organization’s weapons?! I love this return of Destati though They all had a shared HP bar? Scala ad Caelum’s world icon is kinda shaped like a heart Oh wow, full Inception Weird hearing Rage Awakened without the Lingering Will here “There is one sky, one destiny!” “DEEEESTAAAATI!” Ohhhhh shit Shout out to the heart in the floor design though And the figure in the middle has 7 points Classic Xehanort pose from the KH2 secret ending Aaaaand now he’s got ANOTHER Kingdom Hearts! GREAT WHOA HE FORCED ME INTO RAGE FORM DESTATI IN FULL FORCE WHAT A RAD FINISHING BLOW! The canon death screen, the heartbeat, Donald and Goofy calling from my controller! ONE BIG BLAST! So Xehanort sees himself as some sort of white knight? A templar to guide the masses with an iron fist? Yeah, no dice dude. Sora’s right, not your choice to make, and destiny is beyond your control. So Eraqus really WAS with Terra all this time. MARK HAMILL IS BACK!!! Xehanort just hands it over, huh? Wow, closure between Eraqus and his apprentices after all these years Eraqus and Xehanort mimic Sora and Riku from KH2, and pass on. Go get her, Sora. HIKARI ORCHESTRAL Ven met his Chirithy! Lea’s finally wearing his new outfit. Aw, Xion looks good too! And Isa’s here! Naminé is back too! And I bet the Namine/Riku shippers are happy! AWWW They’re all hanging out at Destiny Islands! Look at them all being friends!!! THERE THEY ARE! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT

Epilogue: XIGBAR HAS BEEN LUXU THIS WHOLE TIME?! WHAT WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?! You know while watching Back Cover I was like “Man, the Master of Masters really talks like Xigbar for some reason.” BOY DOES THAT MAKE SENSE NOW So what was it about Ava’s role with the Dandelions that led to her absence here? AND WHAT’S IN THE GODDAMN BOX Is it a Book of Prophecies? Something else entirely? In any case, I doubt Maleficent and Pete would be able to get it away from them all. Secret Ending, “Yozora”: Ooh, “Another Side, Another Story” vibes right off the bat. SORA! And... Riku? Well this is just Japan. Wait, the guy from Verum Rex? And a black coat, who’s probably Xigbar/Luxu or the Master of Masters? After watching, a friend informed me that Riku is in Verum Rex. And Sora’s dead. Cause he’s in TWEWY’s version of Shibuya, since that one building said “104.” But which one is the black coat in? It could be the Master of Masters dead, in Sora’s world. Or Xigbar/Luxu, still watching things.

I have no idea what comes next. But I am excited.

[tnystrk-exe]

Home

Tony Stark X Reader

Reckless and Impulsive

Baby Steps

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 End

Learning to Live

That first week had been hell to say the worst. You were a mess, it was difficult to concentrate at work. The choice had been to take break, your mindset was too bad to take care of your patients. Anytime the phone rang, there was the hope that you’d hear Tony’s voice mixed with the dread of Rhodey telling you he’d never come home. 

He’s coming home. He might not be home now. Later, who knows? He’s coming home one day soon. 

The stress of Tony missing and Ro constantly, tearfully asking for him were too much to handle. Ro wasn’t accustomed to not being able to talk or see Tony when she wanted. It had been his one of his biggest rules. Tony had never felt he was allowed to talk to Howard at anytime unless Howard directly acknowledged him. He didn’t want that with Ro. So anytime Ro said she wanted to speak to her father she did. Now she didn’t understand why whenever she asked you said ‘no’ or ‘he’s doing something, he can’t talk right now.’ She didn’t like these new changes. 

“Mommy, daddy no lo’ us,” she said, after you told her he couldn’t talk for seemingly the millionth time since he went missing. 

You rubbed your face in frustration, “Baby, your daddy loves you a lot. He just can’t talk for a while.”

She looked at you angrily, god that looked so much like Alex. “Yes, he can!” Ro yelled and thus began another tantrum. “I want my daddy! I want my daddy!”

Honestly, you didn’t blame her. You’d throw a tantrum too if you could. 

The days bled into a month and you tried to move life on as always. Business as usual. Though business was a hell of a lot harder without Tony at your side helping out. You repressed the pain and through yourself into your work. Maybe, if you helped enough people, whatever force there was would give you back your best friend. 

Rhodey was working as hard as he could to find Tony. It weighed on you, but it had to be worse for Rhodey. He was supposed to protect him. He’d been taking care of Tony since he was that young naive kid people thought they could take advantage of in parties at MIT. Resources to look for Tony were restricted. Everyone kept saying that Rhodey’s searches were a lost cause, but he’d gain enough respect for them to humor him. Hoping as the second month rolled past he’d give up. 

As if James Rhodes would ever give up on Tony Stark. 

Company wise, the man you had seen at the Stark’s funeral was doing press. He seemed to be taking over in Tony’s absence. Something about him seemed off, but you knew better than to judge by public appearances. Besides, if he was to take over when Tony wasn’t around, that meant Tony trusted him. 

Some morning news show was playing as background noise.

“So, Stane, it’s been close to three months. How is the company doing without Stark at the head?” the host asked.

“The company keeps going the way it always does,” he answered, “I only hope to run it the way Tony would want.”

“Long vacations, clubs, alcohol, and girls,” the host joked. 

Obadiah laughed, “Exactly.”

Was Tony really just a cheap joke to them when he’d been missing so long now? You turned off the TV. Tony Stark was more than people made him out to be and you didn’t need to hear what they thought. He was more than the party scene. He was loving, caring, hardworking, held his emotions to his chest, and used sunglasses as a way to hide himself. Someone that was a genius by every measure, striving to push the world into a better future. A man that would raise someone else’s child as his own, oddly enough something he had jokingly promised the day you met, and try with all his might to not repeat the sins of his father. But all they saw was the alcoholic partier. A flat 2D image. Maybe one day he’d get to prove them all wrong. 

The phone rang.

-

An explosion, that’s all it took to change it all. 

A second ago he was cracking cheap jokes and posing for a picture, the next there’s screaming, gunfire, and death. That soldier wasn’t much more than a kid... 

It takes a moment to recover from the shock and fear. His brain finally kicking into flight mode. They’re aiming at the Humvee, taking out all of the soldiers is their mission, he needs to get away from here. He runs out, there’s no where to go in the rainfall of bullets and explosives, but he manages to find a rock to take cover behind. 

Pulling out his phone, he frantically starts to shoot out a text. A whistle blows through the air and something crash lands not to far from where he is. He glances over to see death with his name on it. 

Fuck, fuck, fuck. 

He doesn’t have time to get away. He didn’t design it to give anyone time to get away. The shock and adrenaline blocking the pain for now. Almost in disbelief he pulls open his button down, blood flowing from wounds where the shrapnel pierced through his vest. There’s not much time to think of anything else before he passes out. Briefly, Tony is conscious enough to know he’s being transported. He doesn’t have enough brain power to judge it as a good or bad thing, the pain being center focus. Tony loses consciousness again. 

Later a bag is pulled off of his head and he sluggishly put everything together. The bright lights, a camera, and a man talking as if making negotiations, all highlighted with him being tied up. Something at the back of his head bit at him, saying he should have spent his time with Ro instead of some reporter he couldn’t remember the name of. His chest was killing him. After the group makes whatever message they wanted to they drag him somewhere else, his consciousness coming in and out in waves. 

That’s when the nightmare really starts. Someone is digging into his chest, causing the worst pain he’s ever felt. He can’t hold in his screams. Cloth is shoved into his mouth and who knows how many people are holding him down when he attempts to thrash away. There’s not even the freedom of being unconscious until the torture is done. He didn’t even let go on his own, someone dragged him down with chloroform. 

He finally came around a final time. There was a man, Tony didn’t know if he was a friend or foe. When he tries to move, he’s stopped abruptly by something...connected to him? Following the chords frantically, he rips off his bandages. The flesh raw and haggard around a machine. Tony studies the thing in his chest. It weighs on him, each breath bringing a new bout of pain. It wasn’t any use being a baby about pain now, he had things to figure out. Not like anyone here would give him any pain medication anytime soon. He’d be lucky if it didn’t get infected somehow. 

The first thing that spills from his mouth is an accusatory, “What the hell did you do to me?”

Quickly connecting the dots that the man was also a prisoner. The man had taken some of The shrapnel out, the pieces still inside of his chest were working to kill him. All that was keeping him alive was a car battery and electromagnet. 

Tony took in his surroundings. Dimly lit, cold, with a dank smell topping everything off. A camera was in place, watching him and the man. Speaking of which this man must have been dying for company. He was rambling about having met himself before. 

“Don’t remember...” he answered gruffly, partially listening as his mind raced for some kind of solution. 

His roommate started recounting one of his drunken speeches. Something that happened more than not. But he was a functional alcoholic so what did it matter if he could still get the job done. He paid little mind to the conversation. Banging on the door caused the man to stand hurriedly commanding him to be quiet and mimic him. 

A group walks in, as dim as it was Tony could recognize his work anywhere. “Those are my guns. How did they get my guns?” The words leave his mouth, he doesn’t realize it but they do. 

His partner reprimands him, as one of their new guest starts talking. There’s not much for him to catch beside his own name. When signaled his roommate starts to translate.  

“He says, ‘Welcome Tony Stark, the most famous mass murderer in the history of America....he’s honored...he wants you to build a missile...the Jericho middle the one you demonstrated,” his roommate is handed a photo and he showed it to Tony, “This one.” 

In a span of less than two days he had been called a Merchant of Death and the most famous mass murderer. Something in him was changing, a day ago he probably would have agreed, topping it off with a lame joke. Now? Now he saw things first hand. People he wanted to fight against seemingly respected him. Looking at the man defiantly, Tony responded, “I refuse.” 

Their choice had been made. Torture into compliance. They ducked his head in the water for as long as they wanted, letting him back up for the smallest of gasp. He knew they wouldn’t kill him. They needed him to make the weapon. Once the group finally got tired, they put a sack over his head and walked him out of the cave. He was already counting his steps and committing the directions to memory. 

Blinded by the sun, his eyes finally came back to focus. All around his weapons were scattered and thrown about. His name glaring at him from all angles. Was he directly responsible? No. But he made this all, without him they’d have nothing. Without him those soldiers would be alive.  

He shook his captors hand, knowing well that making the Jericho would get him killed. That was okay, he could work on pretenses. They didn’t know what went into making the weapon. Just that alone would give him some leeway, but they’d catch on quickly. All he needed to do was be quicker.   

"I'm sure they're looking for you, Stark. But they'd never find you here in these mountains. Look, out there, what you saw? That is your legacy. Your weapons in the hands of those murderers! Is that how you want to go out? Is this the last act of defiance of the great Tony Stark? Or are you going to do something about it?” 

 "Why should I do anything? Either way, they're gonna kill you and me, and if not, then I'll likely be dead by the end of the week" 

"Well then, this will be a very important week for you, won't it?” 

It was the push he needed.  

First things first, to stop lugging around that car battery. The upgrade to an arc reactor would be the golden ticket. He did the calculations, already working on how to minimize the reactor to something functional that can work as fuel. Next would be a suit, something that he could use to clear the path. 

Tony worked by himself, much to his roommate’s annoyance. So, Tony had him scavenge for the palladium. After gathering the 1.6 grams, they melted it now and poured it into the mold Tony had constructed. Everything was hanging on this, it was a limited resource.  

“Careful. Careful, we only get one shot at this,” Tony warned.  

“Relax. I have steady hands. Why do you think you’re still alive?” 

Maybe knowing the name of his new lab partner would be good. “What do I call you?” 

“My name is Yinsen,” he answered.  

“Yinsen, nice to meet you.” 

Tony ignored the annoyed glance he was given. Sure they met before, but did it really count if he was drunk off his ass? Yinsen turned into his right hand, it would have been impossible to form some kind of bond. They were all the other had. 

Once the arc reactor was completed, he showed Yinsen the suit he had made a blueprint. Fifteen minutes, that’s all they got for fuel. At least he didn’t have to worry about the shrapnel in his chest being kept at bay with a dying battery.  

“Got a family?” Tony asked during a game of backgammon. 

“Yes and I will see them when I leave here,” Yinsen answered, always so sure, “And you Stark?”

Tony stayed quiet, trying to decide what would be the best answer. Honestly, he didn’t try to think of anything except the escape. If he did he got distracted, sad, something that couldn’t sidetrack him right now. There was also the fact that there could always be someone listening in. He couldn’t risk it. “...No.” 

“So you’re a man that has everything and nothing.” 

He’d tell Yinsen about his little girl when they were freed.  

The days bled and blended into one another. No clue how long he had been captive. Did he really want to know? Tony worked restlessly. He needed out. He needed to go home. All he wanted was to see his daughter and see that smile of hers that looked so much like yours. That’s why he worked tirelessly to build this suit. It was close to finished but not quite.  

His and Yinsen’s captors barged in. The leader saying whatever about Genghis Khan and soon it would be his turn to rule. How Stark weapons are the way to secure that in this land. Only, Stark wasn’t building his weapon, was he? Yinsen was pushed on to his knees, a burning piece of coal was being pushed closer and closer to his face, as he argued with the leader. Tony managed to get them to back off yelling that he needed him as an assistant. 

When they leave he starts to work harder. There’s no more time. Before he knew it Yinsen was helping it suit up, their homemade bomb ready to go off the second someone opens the door. The clock is ticking, everything needs to work. Nothing can go wrong or malfunction right now. As he’s readying up, Yinsen makes him recite the directions out of the cave. There are guards yelling at them from the door. Yinsen frantically moves faster. The bomb goes if and they both realize now whatever time they had is up.  

Tony talks him through on the computer. Then Yinsen goes to do the finishing touches of the suit. Tony tried to remain calm, noticing how panicked Yinsen had become.  

“Get to your cover. Make sure the check points are clear before you follow me out, okay?” Tony spoke, while Yinsen checked the progress bar.  

“We need more time,” Yensin realized, the bar creeping up too slowly, he turned to look at Tony, “Hey, I’m going to buy you some time.” 

“Stick to the plan! Stick to the plan!” Tony pleads as dread fills him, he’s restricted into the suit, he can’t do anything until the system is loaded. Gunshots filled the air, “Yinsen!” He glared at the laptop, willing for it to go faster. 

The power cut off as the suit, finished. Some of the men peered into the cave. Tony through himself into the mission. He needed to get out of here and find Yinsen. His anger boiled over with each and everyone of his captors he met. They kept him from his daughter, downed him, beat him, and made his life a living hell. Not to mention everything they had done to Yinsen. Now it was his turn to hurt them.  

He finally made it toward the front of the cave. “Yinsen!”  

“Watch out!” Yinsen responded in a weak voice.  

Tony narrowly missed a missile, shooting off one of his own quickly. 

“Stark..” 

Tony pushed off the package that had the man pinned down. Yinsen looked weak but they couldn’t stay here, “C’mon we gotta go. Move with me. Come on we have a plan, we’re gonna stick to it.” 

“This was always the plan, Stark,” he spoke slowly, breathless. 

“C’mon you’re gonna go see your family, get up,” he urged, hoping that the idea of seeing his family again would give Yinsen the spur of energy that he needed.

“My family is dead. I’m going to see them now, Stark. It’s okay...it’s oka...” he took a haggard breath, “I want this....I want this.” 

He didn’t know what to do, except accept Yensin’s choice. “Thank you for saving me.” 

“Dont waste it...Don’t waste your life,” he took one last labored breath before sagging into himself.  

Tony didn’t waste his time. He could mourn later. Right now he had to destroy all of his weapons and get as far as he could. Once he made his way out of the cave, he met hell fire of bullets. When they ran out it was his turn. Everyone in his way, everything with his name on it was destroyed in fire. Someone obviously hit something good, because his suit started malfunctioning. Taking the chance, he set fire to the rest of the weapons. With a click or a button, he went flying off. Something there caused a chain reaction of explosions, just barely missing him.  

Suddenly, hundreds of feet in the air, the boosters are spent. All that Tony can see is the ground coming at him quickly. There’s no way he could make it this far for this to be the end.  

The crash land caused the suit to dismantle and partially bury him in the sand.  

“Not bad...” he spoke, letting his head fall back.  

An explosion in the distance brought him out of his dazed state. There was no time for rest. He pulled himself out of the wreck and sand before picking a direction hoping it would bring something, anything good. 

It had been so long, Tony had managed a weak jog every so often. Each breath caused a surge of pain to his chest, his stomach was begging for anything, and his mouth felt drier than the desert around him. The thoughts keeping him going were his family, Yinsen, and every change he was going to make the second he could.  

His whole life he avoided responsibility. He made the toys and didn’t give a hell what anyone did with them the second they were out of his sight. Never had he meant for this to happen. All he had wanted was to help protect people on the front line. Now, he experienced, first hand, what he caused. He didn’t like it. There were big changes to make. 

The sound of black hawks pulled him out of his thoughts. 

“Hey!” He screamed, his voice rough and gritty. He fell to his knees, throwing up a peace sign.  

Rhodey ran over to him, “How was the funvee?”  Tony couldn’t help much more than a laugh.  

“Next time you ride with me, okay?” Rhodey pulled him into a hug.  

To hell with dad’s, ‘Stark men are made of iron.’ He leaned into Rhodey’s hug, feeling safer than he ever had in his life. Tony could finally think about home and know he’d get there.  

Hours later, Rhodey left Tony’s room for a second. Tony was sleeping he’d be okay for now. He pulled out his phone.  

He didn’t go through formalities. “YN, he’s coming home.”

-

Tony was safe. He was finally coming home. You could finally breathe. The stress had rolled off of you almost instantly the second Rhodey said it. He ended the call when he said some doctors wanted to do a check up on Tony. 

The following afternoon you were making a snack for Ro while she played with some of her toys in the kitchen. Since Tony’s kidnapping, Ro had grown more clingy. Not that she wasn’t a cuddly kid, but sometimes she’d cry as if you weren’t going to come back when you left her with a her babysitter. Leaving her on those days hurt. One day, you had caught her just staring at a picture of Tony, sadly holding the frame. The whole situation was really affecting her in a way you didn’t know understand. All you could do was go through some picture books with her and stay with her at all times unless it was strictly necessary for you to go.  

Some random news channel was playing as background noise. Ro didn’t know that Tony was going to come by later, a small surprise for her. Everything felt like it was back to normal. God, you were just happy Tony was safe. 

“I never got to say goodbye to dad. I never got to say goodbye to my father,” Tony’s voice came from the speakers.  

Ro looked at you, before running into the living room. “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” She stopped close to the TV, watching closely.  

This was a well worked cycle. Surprisingly the news channels would recycle an old interview now and then for the Tony Stark is still missing filler. Ro would run over expecting her father only to be met by a couple of pixels. Which would be followed by a usual conversation. 

You walked over and picked her up, “Are you okay, sweetheart?” “Maybe we go there and see daddy?”  

“Maybe soon.” At least this time it was something you knew for certain and not something you said hopefully.  

“Okay,” she walked back to her toys, the bear she refused to let go of dragging on the floor beside her. 

Your heart clenched, but he’d be here for her soon enough. She wouldn’t be given anymore laters. Turning your attention back to the TV, more focused on his appearance rather than what he was saying. He looked as okay as you could expect from someone that had been captive for three months. You caught Tony saying something about shutting down the weapons manufacturing division and the outburst of the press. Stane was pushing him of the stage as Tony spoke his piece.  

That was a surprising choice, but who were you to question everything he had experienced and seen. Having Tony back was your primary concern. Going back to the kitchen, you finished chopping up Ro’s fruit.  

The two of you had a quiet day. She played on her set for a better part of it and asked you to read her a couple of books outside in the grass. Around sunset, you decided it would be good to get Ro bathed and settled down for the night.  

While you were in the bathroom with Ro, you heard the front door open and close. It had to be Tony, he was the only person that had a key to your home. Quickly, you rinsed her off and took her out of the bath. 

“Mommy, p’eas play more in the bath,” she pouted at you. 

You shook your head, “Sorry, Ro Bear, not today.” 

“Why?” She started to cry as you helped her into a Buzz Lightyear pajama set.  

“Hey, hey, c’mon we don’t need tears today. Tomorrow, I promise you can play as long as you want in the water. Deal?” 

She nodded wiping her face, her lip still trembling, “And maybe bubbles?” 

“The biggest bubbles.” 

“Deal.” 

“Where’s Tony Bear?” 

“‘Ony Bear is....’Ony Bear in.. I take you,” She grab your hand and led you over towards the living room. Ro stopped short in the hallway when she saw him. “Daddy? Daddy!” Letting go of your hand, she ran to Tony, who was crouched down ready to catch her. 

“I missed you, Rugrat,” he hugged her close, pressing a kiss to her head. Finally, he felt like he was home. 

“‘Issed you too. Lots a lot,” she pressed kisses to his cheek, “Stay with me forever, daddy. No more work ever ever.”

“Sweetheart, all I want is to stay with you forever,” He picked up Ro, not willing to let her go so soon. “Hey, you. What happened to ‘we don’t need tears today’? You’re getting soft on me,” Tony joked, walking over to pull you into a hug, “Ro, I think your mommy loves me.” 

“I love you mostest.” 

“Don’t insult me like that,” you joked pressing a kiss to his cheek, “You know I love you, Tones.” 

“I love the both of you,” he pulled away, from you, “Ro, I have this cup of ice cream with rainbow sprinkles. I don’t think I can eat it myself, help me out?” 

“Yes!”  

Tony walked over to the kitchen to grab the ice cream, Ro’s arms around his neck keeping him in a hug. You let the two of them have their time together, soon enough you’d get to talk to Tony.  “Know my abc’s now,” Ro said, opening her mouth for another spoonful. 

“No way. Do it for me.”

“A, b, c, d, m, n, o, w, now I know my abc’s,” she sang. 

“I like this remix. You really just took the meat of that song and threw out all of the annoying bits. What do you say your mommy and I teach you the old people version sometime?”  

“With ‘Ony Bear.”

“You got it.” 

The two of them had a conversation over ice cream. Happily ignoring everything in the world together. Ro stayed on Tony’s lap the entire time, neither one of them wanted to be apart from each other. It was cute, sad when you thought of why, but they needed to be close.  

“You know Ro, you and your mommy are two of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen,” he said, patting her back while she laid against him. 

She yawned resting her head against his shoulder, “Daddy’s pretty too. Mommy says so.” 

“Your mommy always thought I was pretty, but I think it’s time for you to get some sleep, Ro.” 

“Can I sleep with you daddy?” 

“Sure.” 

He stood and took her to your room. Ro was curled up against him as soon as he laid down beside her. Quietly he sang her, Here Comes the Sun, slowly lulling her to sleep. Tony laid there with her for a while, contemplating. A small part of him, thought he wouldn’t have made it back home. Now, he was going to throw that away and start a mission. He always promised Ro he’d be the best he could to even be worthy of being her father, maybe this was the way to go. 

He pressed a kiss to her head before he slid out from under Ro. As comfortable as he was he wanted to talk to you.  

“Hey,” Tony hugged you while you were washing the dishes. “Stroke my ego and tell me how much you missed me.” 

“You were gone?” You teased, feeling something hard wedged against his chest and your back. Grabbing a towel, you dried off your hands, “Lemme see that?” 

He nodded, your hands went from his chest to his tie. “The least you can do is buy me dinner,” he winked at you as you unbuttoned his shirt.  

“I’ll make you whatever dinner you want. Take that shirt off,” you spoke before you could think, seeing a light that was blocked out by thick fabric.  

“Any other time I’d jump if you’d say that, but I’m going to need a little help here.” He nodded to his arm in the sling.  

“Sorry, sorry.” You helped him out. “What is that?” 

“That is keeping me alive,” he sighed, “It’s keeping pieces of shrapnel from digging in deeper. What do you think?” 

“Honest?” 

“Completely.”

“Scientifically? This is so cool. Don’t you have a giant version of this running the company? How did you miniaturize it?” You paused, catching each and every scar and bruise that littered his body, “As a doctor, I think we need to get you running without a battery. When are you going to get it done?” 

“Not anytime soon,” he responded, “I have bigger things on my mind than me. There are things I need to do. Before I make any of my moves, I need to update my arc reactor. As nice as this hunk of scrap is, its running low. Besides new things are always more fun. Shiner.” 

“Are you okay?” You asked, grabbing his hand in yours.  

“When aren’t I okay?” 

“When you’re being tough,” you pressed a kiss to his cheek, “You don’t have to talk to me, but come on Tony...You were taken away for a long time, I can’t fathom what happened to you, and now you have a machine to keep you up and running. You also just shut down the main export of your company. That’s a lot.” 

“I...I- there was so much happening. Okay? The things I saw, I don’t want to be the cause of that anymore. My whole life I’ve been reaping the benefits of death and destruction.  That’s not a legacy I want. So, I’m going to do something about it. You’re going to have to trust me. Do you?” 

“Of course, I do. Still, you need to get this out.”

“Maybe, one day, probably not. I’m not getting your hopes up,” he shook his head, “You know as well as me that it’s high risk. I have a daughter and I came back with a mission. I won’t risk it.” 

You studied the small machine. “What’s this mission?” 

“I’ve got to make things right, YN. There are weapons of mine out there. I need to do whatever it takes.” 

You bit your lip. This was a new side of Tony. He was driven, yeah, but this was new. There was something different to his core. “Okay....okay. Whatever you need, Tony. I got your back.” 

“Thank you, YN.” 

“Daddy!” Ro ran in from the hallway, crying.  

Tony pulled on his shirt. “Hey, Rugrat, what’s wrong?” 

“Think daddy left again.” She cried into his shirt.  

“That won’t happen again, okay? Come on you two, we should get some sleep. YN, my sketchbook still in the drawer next to your bed?”

Everything Tag:@sophiatomlinson23 @cannonindeez @memyselfandmaddox

Marvel Tag: @asguardiansoftheavengers @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked

Tony Stark Tag: @Mrunmayi @bit-bot0711

Strikes didn’t work.

[sadb0ysims]

THE SIMSELF TAG featuring yours truly and her wonderful assistant, antoinette

1. WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME? mia and thats all ur getting out of me

2. WHAT IS YOUR NICKNAME? oh god we have some embarrassing ones but jordan and jords are nicknames of mine and u might be able to guess the other obvious ones dgjhfdj

3. BIRTHDAY? february 25th babey

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK SERIES? OH uhh princess diaries by meg cabot probably

5. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ALIENS OR GHOSTS? not to sure about those funky alien dudes but ehh yeah i believe in ghosts

6. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR? i’d say michael morpurgo but that’s probably because his books were shoved down my throat at an early age DKJDFGJ if you can have a favourite poet i can answer this: atticus and lang leav

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RADIO STATION? radio one probably!!

8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLAVOR OF ANYTHING? the purple one. like, starburst? purple. wine gum? purple

9. WHAT WORD WOULD YOU USE OFTEN TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING GREAT OR WONDERFUL? being the millenial i am probably Uh...li...litty

10. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT FAVORITE SONG? OH Hm i’d say ocean eyes by billie eilish

11. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WORD? Hm!

12. WHAT WAS THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO?  copycat by billie eilish!!

13. WHAT TV SHOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR EVERYBODY TO WATCH? LIE TO ME IS THE UNDER APPRECIATED SERIES OF THE CENTURY

14. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE TO WATCH WHEN YOU’RE FEELING DOWN? oh uhh i don’t watch films a lot and especially not if i’m feeling?? sad

15. DO YOU PLAY VIDEO GAMES? never heard of them

16. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR? OH jesus lets say. being forgotten or making no difference in the world

17. WHAT IS YOUR BEST QUALITY, IN YOUR OPINION? oh Jesus not a lot of these GJFDH over the past mm month or so i’d say i’ve grown a lot as a person in the fact that i have more respect for myself than i used to, and if i have an opinion on something i evaluate it and decide Do People Really Need To Know? (DPRNTK)

18. WHAT IS YOUR WORST QUALITY, IN YOUR OPINION? EASY my weird. defense mechanism thing. i’ve gotten a bit better in my opinion but the reason i’m usually in so much trouble is because as soon as i’m attacked, i act with anger? its some weird defensive wall that i put up and regret later because i’m not really thinking like a rational person. i just see that i’m being attacked and my first thought is to fight back

19. DO YOU LIKE CATS OR DOGS BETTER? OH cats because i haven’t had one in ages. one of our cats was run over and the other was taken by our neighbours and now he doesn’t even remember us or respond to his name so thats really fun

20. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? SUMMER because my skin turns olive in the summer and right now. a bitch is pale! also school is so much nicer in the summer... the whole yeargroup feels like much more of a community because we all sit together outside n it’s just overall very fun and makes me nostalgic of year 7

21. ARE YOU IN A RELATIONSHIP? bitch u really thought-

22. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU MISS FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD? still in it but. because of a lot of things i was forced to grow up very fast. something i miss is having everyone in the house (my siblings are both a lot older than me so they’re never around) and not having to worry about fitting into certain stereotypes or WASHING MY HAIR!!!!!

23. WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND? oh god ok so i have a “best friend” but we don’t. agree on a lot of things and she takes everything i say 100% seriously so even though we’re not close i’d consider this group of boys from my school my best friends. and online ofc i have Many Many good friends which i would name but i dont wanna leave anyone out bc i talk to A Lot of people DGHDFJ

24. WHAT IS YOUR EYE COLOR? blue blue blue

25. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR? blonde babey

26. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU LOVE? my brother

27. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU TRUST? would say myself but sometimes i’m not even sure i can trust HER

28. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN? i think about people loads because im a lonely romantic so. i’d say Love Interest and i think about myself a whole lot too like who does this bitch think she is

29. ARE YOU CURRENTLY EXCITED ABOUT/FOR SOMETHING? all the time i’m looking forward to things bc. not a whole lot happens in my life so if Love Interest looks at me a certain way i’ll look forward to going to school for the next couple weeks FDJGHFDJ

30. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST OBSESSION? i think of the future way too much. she’s a dreamer

31. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW AS A CHILD? oh god uhhh i used to cry at in the night garden all the time when it ended bc i hated that iggle piggle sailed away on his boat DJHFD it was probably still my favourite though

32. WHO OF THE OPPOSITE GENDER CAN YOU TELL ANYTHING TO, IF ANYONE? i had a best friend who moved away after year seven and i feel like i could but. who knows we haven’t seen each other for years

33. ARE YOU SUPERSTITIOUS? sigh i think so like does it count if my tarot deck says not to do something because. i trust those tarot bitches with all my soul if i have one

34. DO YOU HAVE ANY UNUSUAL PHOBIAS? don’t like the dark, i have a fear of holes, can’t sleep without the door open, can’t sleep when i can see in a mirror (fun fact theres a mirror in my room but it’s on a shelf which i can barely see at night like. i can see a glimpse. but knowing it’s there freaks me out so its flipped and has something covering it)

35. DO YOU PREFER TO BE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA OR BEHIND IT? oh ummmm in front i guess because 1. i look horrible in photos other people have taken of me 2. technically being in front of it. you can still take selfies and 3. the people i know take pictures from really weird angles

36. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOBBY? we love a bit of vidya games but i love reading poetry because i’m a whore and also i like singing but that doesn’t mean im good at it!

37. WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? UHHH god i really dont read uhh probably lullabies by lang leav

38. WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? romeo and juliet (the blessed one featuring young leo dicaprio)

39. WHAT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS DO YOU PLAY, IF ANY? i can play the guitar, the recorder, a bit of the piano

40. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL? GIRAFFES it’s really sad that they’re now endangered. if ur talkin domestic pets i love guinea pigs, cats and (i’ve never had them but rats

41. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 5 FAVORITE TUMBLR BLOGS THAT YOU FOLLOW? don’t. this’ll turn into a follow forever and i won’t get any clout bc it’s in such a long post !

42. WHAT SUPERPOWER DO YOU WISH YOU HAD? OH hm. i thought as hard as my tiny brain could about this and i think teleportation would be interesting but if we can choose ANY superpower. is magic one? that’d b pretty wack

43. WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU FEEL MOST AT PEACE? when i’m walking to school at half 7 in the morning and no one’s there and i can hear the trees lining the field rustling in the wind in the distance. it was rainng this morning and even though my whole ass was exposed from the wind and i was soaking it was really peaceful. also there’s a red kite that’s resident to our school field and i love to stand there in the morning and watch it sometimes

44. WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE? feeling included DGJHDJ doesn’t happen a whole lot

45. WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY, IF ANY? i play a lot of sports because i’m in school obviously but i’m really good at rugby bc a bitch is Tactical and Nimble. i love hockey and badminton and stuff though

46. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DRINK? i LOVE smoothies and milkshakes and everything ugh. i’d be bold enough to say i love drinks more than i love food. like apple juice orange juice MIXED juice smoothies BROWN BAG MILKSHAKES! BITCH! THE STRAWBERRY ONE IS SO GOOD UGH

47. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WROTE A HAND-WRITTEN LETTER OR NOTE TO SOMEBODY? oh jesus um. 4 years ago

48. ARE YOU AFRAID OF HEIGHTS? fuck yeah brother

49. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE? UGH A LOT OF THINGS like. people biting their nails. people tapping their foot on my chair. people not listening when you’re explaining something THEY needed help with. tapping a pen on a desk or clicking it on and off

50. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A CONCERT? nop

51. ARE YOU VEGAN/VEGETARIAN? my mother is a vegetarian so i eat a lot of vegetarian meals. sometimes i get really put off meat but like. a bitch is 13 and doesn’t pay for her own meals so she doesn’t really get a say in what she eats

52. WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? always wanted to entertain people and be nationally recognised. take that as u will

53. WHAT FICTIONAL WORLD WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE IN? TOO MANY let’s go... the arcana so i can marry the 1 (one) love of my life dr julian ilyushka devorak... chill in the hanged man’s realm...

54. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WORRY ABOUT? i don’t worry about a lot not gonna lie to u

55. ARE YOU SCARED OF THE DARK? cheers i’ll drink to that broe

56. DO YOU LIKE TO SING? if the screeching sound i make to a slight tune counts as singing then. yes

57. HAVE YOU EVER SKIPPED SCHOOL? not illegally but i’ve had days off sick where i wasn’t sick bc i couldn’t be asked

58. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE ON THE PLANET? alone

59. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE? somewhere safe

60. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? yeah i have a dog and a cat but as i said m cat got taken by my neighbours and doesn’t even remember us so sjfhdjg

61. ARE YOU MORE OF AN EARLY BIRD OR A NIGHT OWL? night owl but if i’m rested well enough i love being up early

62. DO YOU LIKE SUNRISES OR SUNSETS BETTER? sunsets

63. DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DRIVE? no a bitch is 13

64. DO YOU PREFER EARBUDS OR HEADPHONES? probably headphones bc i can’t lose them and the sound quality is better but i’m not a MONSTER so earphones. also headphones automatically make old people scoff at u and hate u more

65. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES? nah

66. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GENRE OF MUSIC? whatever’s poetic enough to be On Brand

67. WHO IS YOUR HERO? don’t really have one

68. DO YOU READ COMIC BOOKS? no

69. WHAT MAKES YOU THE MOST ANGRY? the holier than thou attitude Often showcased on simblr by some. familiar faces

70. DO YOU PREFER TO READ ON AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE OR WITH A REAL BOOK? it doesn’t really make a difference

71. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL? computer science (mainly for the people because right now we’re just making fucking. powerpoints) or english bc of the people again

72. DO YOU HAVE ANY SIBLINGS? yee a brother and a sister

73. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT? christmas presents and some perfume & a purse for me

74. HOW TALL ARE YOU? 5′4

75. CAN YOU COOK? not well

76. WHAT ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOU LOVE? attention DFJHGSDJ uhh being kind to people who deserve it and hard work paying off

77. WHAT ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOU HATE? patronization, people who believe their opinion is the only opinion and people who cause minor inconveniences for you for no reason

78. DO YOU HAVE MORE FEMALE FRIENDS OR MORE MALE FRIENDS? more female probably but i prefer guys

79. WHAT IS YOUR SEXUAL ORIENTATION? i say bisexual but no one’s ever been close enough to let me find out

80. WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE? party in the UK

81. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TEXTED? kyla rosymiel

82. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? UHHH i really can’t remember i know me and kyla were talking about something and i started crying JGFHDGJ

83. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE YOUTUBER? oh god umm probably smii7y but i also really like all his friends like. kryoz etc

84. DO YOU LIKE TO TAKE SELFIES? when i look good FJDHSJD

85. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE APP? would say tumblr but she’s gone ! right now i’m really feeling zepeto bc It May Be Tracking Me but it lets me take pics with all my online friends and i have some sort of weird following on there SDFHSDJ

86. WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PARENT(S) LIKE? i don’t think i’ll ever be able to fully confide in them, i really like my dad but there’s elements of him that don’t really float my boat. same with my mum but i’m less close with her

87. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOREIGN ACCENT? probably australian or. is it swiss? might be swiss.

88. WHAT IS A PLACE THAT YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO, BUT YOU WANT TO VISIT? france and ofc america

89. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER? 4

90. CAN YOU JUGGLE? with like 2 things skdghsd

91. ARE YOU RELIGIOUS? not really but i believe in a higher power of some sort and a life after death. i believe there’s something out there that is listening but i prefer to think it’s the stars

92. DO YOU FIND OUTER SPACE OF THE DEEP OCEAN TO BE MORE INTERESTING? i find the ocean really ineresting but man will always romanticise space

93. DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A DAREDEVIL? im a 13 year old white girl how ruthless can i be

94. ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO ANYTHING? sesame seeds

95. CAN YOU CURL YOUR TONGUE? nop but everyone else in my family can

96. CAN YOU WIGGLE YOUR EARS? nope

97. HOW OFTEN DO YOU ADMIT THAT YOU WERE WRONG ABOUT SOMETHING? whenever i realise

98. DO YOU PREFER THE FOREST OR THE BEACH? forest

99. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF ADVICE THAT ANYONE HAS EVER GIVEN YOU? it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission

100. ARE YOU A GOOD LIAR? i lie all the time but i am. SO terrible ASJDFHJ i would love to lie less but it’s so easy to slip into one

101. WHAT IS YOUR HOGWARTS HOUSE? gryffindor

102. DO YOU TALK TO YOURSELF? hell yea brother

103. ARE YOU AN INTROVERT OR AN EXTROVERT? kyla put ambivert so i looked that up and. yeah

104. DO YOU KEEP A JOURNAL/DIARY? did when i was younger but i guess tumblr is somewhat of a personal diary

105. DO YOU BELIEVE IN SECOND CHANCES? depends

106. IF YOU FOUND A WALLET FULL OF MONEY ON THE GROUND, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? turn it in most likely

107. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE ARE CAPABLE OF CHANGE? “yes, but you should never forget about their past” thanks kyla

108. ARE YOU TICKLISH? only monsters aren’t

109. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A PLANE? nope

110. DO YOU HAVE ANY PIERCINGS? i have my ears pierced. WILD i know

111. WHAT FICTIONAL CHARACTER DO YOU WISH WAS REAL? UGH FUCK DR JULIAN ILYUSHKA DEVORAK!! it’d be illegal for him to marry anyone but me though

112. DO YOU HAVE ANY TATTOOS? yep! i have a tattoo on my back. i plan on getting a lot more tattoos in the future, but i don’t want anymore in the near future

113. WHAT IS THE BEST DECISION THAT YOU’VE MADE IN YOUR LIFE SO FAR? being outspoken and not. watching things pass by

114. DO YOU BELIEVE IN KARMA? of course

115. DO YOU WEAR GLASSES OR CONTACTS? nopee

116. DO YOU WANT CHILDREN? oof i really don’t know because of what’s happened to me i don’t know if i could knowing i could never protect them from everything. idk pregnancy seems very nice but once the kid gets annoying thats It for me

117. WHO IS THE SMARTEST PERSON YOU KNOW? “i think everyone is smart in their own way” thanks kyla

118. WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MEMORY? i started laughing once in drama and i pissed myself a lil and i was like ehh thats fine i do that all the time and then i didnt stop pissing and someone was like ‘whats that wet on the floor? they were like mia have u pissed urslef i was like nOSDJF so i had to ask the teacher to leave. u coiuld see the piss down my leg

119. HAVE YOU EVER PULLED AN ALL-NIGHTER? have u SEEN these bags. she’s seen hell 

120. WHAT COLOR ARE MOST OF YOUR CLOTHES? like varying tones of beige and then grey/black

121. DO YOU LIKE ADVENTURES? of course

122. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON TV? oh uhhh i feel like maybe when i was younger but i’ve. repressed that memory if i have it

123. HOW OLD ARE YOU? 13 years young

124. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE? oh jesus something poetic and by atticus probably let’s see

after spending more time searching for a quote than i did on literally this whole tag, i decided on this. and then i realised. it will always be ‘YOU ARE A SAD BOY’

[intoxicatingimmediacy]

You Have to Be Smart to Survive: Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal on Blindspotting

During a press tour last month, Diggs and Casal spoke with RogerEbert.com about their meticulous approach to sound design, their seamlessly stylized dialogue and why having intelligent characters is a politically charged statement.

RC: The idea was to give every character their version of what was right in their mind. Early on, there are moments with Val where the audience is made to be pitted against her, and we make sure to eventually come around to her perspective, as well as the perspective of Miles’s girlfriend, Ashley. Even for Miles and Collin, it was necessary to have those moments. We liked the idea that it was messy and complex, because that is usually how perspective works.

DD: I am attracted to art that doesn’t present itself as an authority. As an artist presenting a piece of art, you have to be aware of your own blind spots. I think I am attracted to art where woven into the fabric of the thing is this fractured perspective, this idea that there are many ways to look at this thing that you are watching right now.

Your portrayal of the film’s inciting incident—the brawl outside the bar—is twofold: we first see it from a comedic angle, where the clueless white victim is dubbed “Portlandia,” and then from a tragic angle, as we hear the man echo Eric Garner’s cries of “I can’t breathe.”

DD: We do so much work early on to ensure that everyone can feel the world from Collin’s perspective, where we understand a lot of his reasoning for everything and for all of his choices. To present that moment in a way that is comedic allows you to really watch it without judging him initially. Then all of a sudden, you get to see the moment play out from Val’s perspective, in order for the audience to understand much more about her feelings, and also about the nature of this crime. If we’ve done our job right, this shift occurs without the audience realizing it. By the end of the film, you are rooting for a felon convicted of a violent crime, who maybe doesn’t get a lot of second glances in real life. We did a lot of work in the script to try and underscore Collin’s humanity and make sure that his entire self was represented. He is not only the crime that he committed, and even from one perspective, the crime is hilarious if you think about it.

RC: Our intention was to make the entire theater be on his side for most of that fight. Everyone in the room hates the hipster and thinks that Miles is being funny and the fire is entertaining. That flip on the perspective regarding the violence, depending on how we are encouraged to feel about it, matters. It shows how easily you can get swept up in a point of view if it favors your beliefs or is playing to your intuitive nature. We are giving you comedy, and so you are responding to the comedy, same as when you are watching the news. If the newscasters tell you that a person is a villain, you will treat them like a villain. The same trick that is happening in the film is what’s happening on the news every day.

I found the tonal shifts and lyrical dialogue in “Blindspotting” to be so much more seamless and assured than they were in a picture like Spike Lee’s “Chi-Raq.”

DD: We’re doing different things than Spike. “Chi-Raq” was an adaptation of a Classical Greek comedy, so the way he was attempting to use poetry was already forced. It was a forced situation that was meant to draw attention to the fact that the dialogue was poetry and not prose. We are doing the exact opposite. We’re trying to make you forget that you are listening to verse, but still have it function in the same way where it forces you to hear the important things and as a result, you sit forward a little bit in your chair. The writing is different, yes, but the biggest difference is in terms of performance. Carlos also played a big role in helping it feel natural when people are reciting verse but performing it as text. Rafael and I grew up doing that, so we’ve had a lot of practice. In many ways, the film is a reflection of how we grew up interacting with language. That is a big thing in the Bay Area, so we were really just trying to show off what we can do.

I particularly loved when Miles tells Val, “I am as moved by your greeting as you are moved by an elliptical.”

RC: It’s a joke that takes a couple seconds to register, and by the time it does, it’s more of an internal laugh. It’s a headier joke where you are like, “Oh, because an elliptical doesn’t move…” [laughs] But what I love about that line is it gives you a sense of the character’s vocabulary. One thing Daveed and I talked about a lot is how important it was for all of our characters to be really intelligent people. The Bay’s a very well-read place. A lot of the parents are very educated, whether traditionally or nontraditionally, and that savviness, that sophistication also coexists with the norm of city life and street culture. It doesn’t change it, it just gives it this nuance. That is a very heady joke for Miles to make and in any other movie, It would feel so strange for the street dudes to reference an elliptical as a joke in passing. Their intelligence has this broad stroke to it that allows you to watch them process things much faster, which also enables the verse. You know that they’re quick, witty and clever, but you don’t have a good sense of what their knowledge base is. You really just know a little bit about their behavioral flaws and not necessarily the limits of their intellect. For all we know, in every moment we don’t see him on camera, Collin sits around reading all day. There were versions of the script where that was the case. Miles and Ashley watch the news every night, and as younger people, that is not as common.

DD: I think it’s a politically left statement to not have stupid people in our work. We are existing in a world where there is this normalizing of ignorance, which is dangerous and actually untrue. That’s not how people are. I don’t know very many stupid people in my life, certainly not among disenfranchised people because it is hard to live that way. This normalizing of people being uninformed is dangerous because it presents it as okay, whereas that’s contrary to our survival mechanisms. You have to be smart to survive.

How involved were you both in the film’s extraordinarily visceral sound design?

RC: We were deeply involved from the beginning. All of those rhythmic musical refrains and elements to design Collin’s PTSD were originally in the script and decided on before we shot the film.

DD: We set the tempo months before we started shooting with members of my band Clipping. We did some rough passes on sound design elements, and though very little of that stuff got used, we recorded to them. When we performed the scenes, we had clicks in our ear. For the scene toward the end where Collin is in basement, I had that beeping sound in my ear to keep in line with the rhythm.

RC: I had a similar click in my ear during the dream sequence set in the courtroom. We knew super-super early on that both the score and the sound design were going to be essential in tracking Collin’s descent. We knew those PTSD moments were going to ramp up and climax in some of our final scenes, and that everything would have to get threaded back throughout the entire film, so we have alternating start points of when we learn about them, such as car horns or other sounds. We also had to make sure that the sounds were accurate in relation to where the characters were in Oakland, because we knew that people from the area would intuitively know if we had gotten something wrong.

DD: Getting to mix in Dolby Atmos was an extra sort of bonus after we received their grant. We worked with their artists while sitting on Michael Bay’s mixing stage and got to make adjustments like, “Can we throw that train noise back into the right because we know where this house is in relation to the actual train tracks in Oakland?” Coming from music, that was the sort of stuff that we were obsessed with. I am super-proud of the sound design in this film, and next time we do a movie, we’ll do more. We’ll actually start that process way earlier. I think there’s so much more we could’ve done.

RC: Even when we were doing our web series [“Hobbes and Me”], sound design was always our favorite part of the process. That is when everything on the screen comes to life, so when we got to sit in that room, that is where we, as filmmakers in post-production, really got to excel.

DD: That’s the coolest part to me. On my next film, I’m going to have composers onset the whole time.

[returnerofthesky]

And at last, the Labs and the end of the game.

The labs are... less high-tech than I expected, but at the same time they definitely fit with the way more run-down aesthetic of the rest of the game, so after the initial confusion I was pretty into the atmosphere. It’s got some of the most unambiguously creepy stuff in the entire game (the bodybags actively sent a shudder through me), but at the same time, it’s feels kind of too small. It feels a little weird that all of the scientists would be living in the mansion and constantly making trip back and forth between the medallion entrances and such. Maybe it’s just me.

The other problem - and this is entirely because I played on walking - is that I had so much surplus ammo stocked up at this point that I was able to clear everything out with ease. I had enough fire grenades for every zombie, and used some of the leftover acid grenades on the Chimeras and even the Tyrant itself. While I do appreciate being able to wander around everywhere without any enemies to worry about (it did give me some room to practice the tank controls), it does... remove most of the survival horror from the survival horror.

Though admittedly, I also went out of my way to play things nice and safe. Going through all of the power rooms to clear out the Chimeras before refilling the fuel canister, etc etc. Nor did it change how much fun the game was! But I still didn’t die a single time.

Anyway, I fought off the Tyrant, picked up Chris, used up most of my magnum ammo fighting the Tyrant again, and that was that.

I enjoyed it quite a bit! It’s interesting to finally get to play such an old-fashioned game (well, “old-fashioned”), and I can definitely see why both the original and the remake are so well-liked. Wandering around the mansion is a lot of fun but also nerve-wracking at times, and the exploration mixed with the puzzle-solving is absolutely the game’s biggest strength in my eyes. The other areas were still good, but none of them really hold a candle to the time I spent getting lost in the house and trying to figure out what I needed to do.

That said, it also helps me appreciate RE4 even more than I already did, because as much as I enjoyed REmake, I’m still going to quibble a little bit about the things that everyone does. The fixed camera angles, prerendered backdrops and the controls all work... well enough, and back when the original RE1 came out I can see them working great as a technical limitation of the time. But... yeah, RE4′s shoulder-camera and fully-rendered maps still feel way. way more natural. Almost makes me want to see about the renditions of the mansion in games like L4D and such, and how they stack up.

Of course, what that really means is that RE2make is probably going to be the best of both worlds (shoulder camera and fully-rendered maps, but with the exploration and puzzle elements of classic RE), so I’m really excited for it now, hahahah! And in the meantime, I can do a REmake run as Chris this time! :V

[dipulb3]

2021 Genesis GV80 3.5T review: A lead-off home run

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/2021-genesis-gv80-3-5t-review-a-lead-off-home-run/

2021 Genesis GV80 3.5T review: A lead-off home run

Those dual-slit headlights work wonders on just about anything.

Andrew Krok/Roadshow

Nobody’s truly great at something the first time they try it, but Genesis is working to buck that trend. The 2021 Genesis GV80 is the freshly spawned Korean automaker’s first SUV of its own and, just like the heavily revised G80 before it, this midsize luxury SUV is ready to make its mark in a busy segment — and fast.

Like

Sharp exterior

Properly luxurious interior

Top-notch infotainment graphics

Don’t Like

Ride could be softer

Just-OK fuel economy

A stunner, inside and out

The 2021 Genesis GV80 really commands attention. One driver rolled right up next to me on the road and honked the horn of their sedan until I turned my head, at which point I was met with a car full of thumbs up. The GV80’s exterior is unique; in fact, I’d consider it the prettiest ute in the segment. The headlights are like no other and the way the fastback-style roof line carries itself backwards leads to a car that looks like it’s constantly in motion.

The GV80’s interior manages to impress even more than the exterior does. This lovely design is part and parcel with the GV80 experience, regardless of trim. I might not fully embrace the two-spoke steering wheel, which is a little fat for 9-and-3 hand positioning, but the layout is uncluttered and the patterns baked into the leather ooze luxury. The GV80 is right up there with Mercedes-Benz in terms of interior quality and at its price point, I’d say it actually trounces the Merc on value alone. My tester’s a little monotone with its beige getup, but there are some truly wild combinations out there, including a two-tone motif with lots of blue leather.

Everything I touch is made of either leather or metal, with high-quality knurling on the stalks and infotainment controller; the GV80’s cabin feels ultra-premium. One of my favorite parts is the climate control, which has a small touchscreen that lets me configure airflow and fan speed independent of the automatic function. Even the temperature dials look and feel expensive.

The GV80’s interior doesn’t forego function in favor of all that form, either. Sure, the door panels are a little light on storage space, but the flowing center console has a decently sized cubby under the transmission dial and the armrest opens up for a bit more storage. It’s roomy as heck, too, with a second row that doesn’t scrimp on headroom despite a slightly cut roof line. Advanced Plus trims have an optional third row as well that, according to my colleagues, isn’t appropriate for fully grown humans, but it works for kids.

On-road serenity 

The 2021 GV80 is not a svelte fellow, clocking in at some 5,000 pounds with AWD and all the bells and whistles, but my tester packs Genesis’ larger engine option. The twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 produces 375 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque, and while it might not be the most sonorous six-pot on the block, it will push the GV80 forward with alacrity. Shoot whatever gap you want; there’s more than enough torque on tap and the eight-speed automatic transmission smoothly swaps cogs as necessary. There’s plenty of throttle and brake modulation on offer for serene, dip-free starts and stops, playing into the proper-luxury angle very nicely.

Most European midsize luxury SUVs try to bake some sportiness into their existence, with relative success. The GV80 tries to take more of a pure-luxury angle to its driving characteristics and it’s mostly successful. The Advanced-trim model in my driveway comes with Genesis’ road-scanning adaptive suspension, which uses cameras to preload the suspension in the event it has to handle some nastiness, which can be a rather big deal on the automaker’s Korean home turf. In Michigan, it does a commendable job eating up gross roads, but the whole experience feels a bit stiffer than I’d prefer, even with everything dialed to its plushest setting. An optional air suspension would turn this thing into a freakin’ cloud, so here’s hoping Genesis finds a way to shoehorn something like that in here later on. The GV80 is never really exciting to toss around, because that’s not what it’s made for, but it’s plenty confident if your commute involves a few twists and turns.

The GV80’s interior is interesting, no matter where you look or where you touch. Leather, metal, it’s all here.

Andrew Krok/Roadshow

Luxury continues to be the priority when looking at other parts of the driving experience, too. The cabin is plenty quiet, thanks in part to thick glass and an active noise-cancellation system that works like the headphones on your desk. It’s a properly placid time for both the driver and the driven.

Fuel economy is competitive for the GV80’s class, but outside of that bubble, it’s not really all that and a bag of chips. 3.5-liter models, which come standard with all-wheel drive, are EPA-rated at 18 miles per gallon city, 23 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined — with premium gas, no less. 2.5-liter variants are a little less thirsty at 21 city and 25 highway, but it’s still sufficiently thirsty.

Top-notch tech

In my G80 review, I spoke at length about how much I loved Genesis’ new infotainment system — and it’s no different on the 2021 GV80, which is to say that it rules. The 14.5-inch display atop the dashboard commands attention with its delightfully calm home screen and easy navigation, whether I’m reaching to touch the screen itself or (more likely) manipulating the rotary dial on the center console. Buttons above the climate control provide quick access to the usual features like the navigation, audio or settings menus. Every corner of the system isn’t just attractive, it’s intuitive and it doesn’t take long for me to figure out my preferred way of doing things. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available, but not wirelessly, and as my boss Chris Paukert pointed out in his review, there is no option for a Wi-Fi hotspot or rear-seat entertainment here, which seems like a silly omission when most of the GV80’s competitors have all that. It’s not a deal-breaker, just a head-scratcher.

Only Prestige trims get the wild gauge-cluster screen that uses digital trickery to give the impression of physical depth, which means my GV80 is stuck with the tried-and-true physical cluster that includes a moderately sized info display in the middle. This is about the only corner of the vehicle that reminds me of the car’s Hyundai-based provenance, since it looks and acts like the same getup seen in cars like the Sonata. It’s fine; it does the job it’s supposed to, it’s just the only part of the cabin that I wouldn’t call special.

The home screen of Genesis’ new infotainment system is gorgeous and it changes based on the weather.

Andrew Krok/Roadshow

Every GV80 comes with an impressive amount of safety tech, including parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring and automatic emergency braking that can detect both pedestrians and cyclists. The Advanced trim throws a surround-view monitor, mirror-mounted cameras and rear automatic braking into the mix, as well as Remote Smart Parking Assist (aka Smaht Pahk), which can roll the vehicle forward and backward while the driver presses the remote from outside. It’s some cool stuff, even if I only ever use it to show off.

All GV80s also include Genesis’ Highway Driving Assist, which combines the active and passive safety aids to hold the vehicle in its lane on the highway while keeping pace with traffic. It helps reduce some of the tedium of a traffic-laden commute, but it’s a hands-on system so vigilance remains a requirement. It does a commendable job, but the GV80’s lane-centering tech can be a little aggressive at times and I’m a pretty active driver so I generally leave the system off.

Down to brass tacks

Despite embodying the full-on luxury experience better than nearly all its competitors, the 2021 Genesis G80 isn’t a bank-breaker. Starting at $49,925 including destination, the GV80 3.5T AWD Advanced before me kicks off at $65,375, which is impressive in context; a BMW X5 xDrive40i starts at about $62,000, while a Mercedes-Benz GLE450 is about a grand above that. And then there’s the Audi Q8, which commands nearly $70,000. All three of those vehicles are before options, too. Hoo boy.

It’s a weird day when a car can be both a serious value and an example-setter in its storied segment, but that’s the 2021 Genesis GV80 in a nutshell. It manages to provide an excellent luxury experience in its truest form, eschewing the notion that every vehicle needs some underlying sporty angle, while somehow beating its biggest competitors on price while maintaining quality that rivals them. You’d think that the GV80 was Genesis’ third crack at a luxury SUV, but nope; sometimes, you strike gold on the first swing.

[inputgarlic92]

Take a View at the State of the Art iPhones

Customers probably concur with me that iPhone X layout was one of the very best, and that is precisely why Apple chose to keep the exact same look for their next pair of personal cell phones. Introduced a year ago, it is the very first Apple smart phone to remove the main button. In the other, I held its brand-new successor, the iPhone Xs. My eyes squeezed closed, and I passed them back and forth between my hands, rolling each phone over, feeling the curves, glass backs, dual lens camera lumps, and radar vents. I realized I could not tell the difference between both phones. This is not a criticism. It is just a fact of S model years, where Apple locks in the iPhone layout and concentrates, instead, on upgrading key internal parts. As such, the biggest changes to this 5.8-inches iPhone Xs and its big brother, the 6.5-inch iPhone Xs Max, both of which I tested, could be discovered in performance (thanks to the newest A12 Bionic CPU), photos and videos, (new digital cameras and a new ISP endorsed by the A12), along with functionality (iOS12, the final version of which came pre-applied on my test components ). The outcome is a pair of brilliant, tasteful, and high-performing gadgets which can please iPhone enthusiasts and receive over a couple of looks in Android cellphones. It has the exact rigid surgical metal frame wrapped into a fresh glass substance that Apple said was formulated to be scratch tolerant and heavy duty. I gave the phones a few half-hearted drops onto a thin-pile rug but was not prepared to let them slide away on concrete. Thus far I have discovered just one very nice scratch on your iPhone Xs Max. So let's consider them scratch-resistant, but still not scratch-proof. The larger iPhone Xs Max shares all of the iPhone X's content and layout attributes, but does this in a 6.2-inch x 3.05-inch x 0.30-inch body. In 208 g, it's much thicker than the iPhone Xs. The Xs Max is a hair shorter (0.04 inches) and narrower (0.02 inches), but it is also a few grams heavier than the Iphone 8 Plus, the big-screen phone that from a space the Iphone Xs Max most resembles. Button positioning power/sleep, volume controls, ring/silent switch -- will be the exact same. But, there is one minor chassis gap. On the bottom edge of the telephones sits the lightning connector. It is book-ended by a pair of holes that adapt one half of their stereo speaker system and one of the telephone's microphones. There was six holes on both sides. Now the ideal side has six slots, but the left, which just houses a mike, has just three. This little change was done, in part, to adapt the new internal antenna setting that contains 4x4 MIMO and License Assisted Access, which utilizes unlicensed 5 GHz spectrum to deliver 1 Gbps broadband over LTE. Apple updated the water and also dust-resistance rating to IP 68, that contrasts to the handsets surviving in 2 meters of water for as much as half an hour. I didn't get to go swimming together with the Iphone Xs or even Xs Max, but did operate the latter phone under water, juice and milk. Then, as recommended, I dried and shut off the smart phone. I was careful not to plug it into a lighting cable (that is a no-no after a dowsing) but did place it on a wireless charging foundation at which it had no trouble accepting a fee. Apple, incidentally, said it put some work in creating the wireless charging platform (basically the concealed coils within the phone) more forgiving. This is good news, because I've on more than one occasion, awakened to find my iPhone X didn't charge because I placed it a little off-axis on the charging base. I never ran into this issue with either the iPhone Xs or even Xs Max. The Iphone Xs and iPhone Xs Max bodies are rigid and robust-feeling, but torqueable, especially the larger telephone, which really makes a tiny clicking sound when I attempt to twist it. Clearly, I have only had those iPhones for weekly, but based on a calendar year's encounter with the first iPhone X (allowed, largely in a sparse instance ), I consider this design framework tough and prepared for the long haul. Even as Samsung trolls Apple to its black cutout at the top of this Iphone Xs and Xs Max, Apple reveals no clues of moving back in the multi-feature technology, which grew nor slipped in the hottest iPhones. As with the first TrueDepth Module, that one is still packed with the same elements (none of that, so much as I could tell, have been updated). There is a 7 MP camera, dot projector for thickness sensing, infrared camera (thickness sensing), flood illuminator (yes, too for depth-sensing), proximity sensor, ambient light detector, the second half of the stereo speaker program, along with a mic. On the backs of both the Iphone Xs and Xs Max, there is more of the custom made glass, the Apple Logo, the word Iphone (but no"X" or"s"), along with also the 12 MP dual camera system. This vertically-oriented, pill-shaped camera module appears exactly the same as it did to the last iPhone X. It's still a prominent bump, but at least it did not get any bigger. Within the module is new hardware supported by new picture technologies, but more on that later. I have always thought that the 5.8-inch iPhone X an excellent tradeoff between a big-screen phone and hand-friendly ergonomics. The screen is big and immersive, however, the human body is comfortable to hold and pocket. The iPhone Xs Max by contrast can, particularly if you're utilized to holding a smaller phone, feel large. It is not embarrassing to hold, but people with smaller hands will probably struggle with one-handed usage and will most likely wish to turn on Reachability, which having a swipe back on the flat bar moves everything halfway down the screen, which makes it longer reachable. Nonetheless, the trade-off could possibly be well worth it. I forgot how much I like the bigger iPhone screen, and on the iPhone Xs Max, you receive a lot more display without contending with a larger phone (there's just that 0.04-inch height difference between the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone Xs Max). Apple's full-stack control of the Iphone design, development, and manufacturing process pays dividends throughout the gleaming handset. Nonetheless, it's most noticeably from the silicon, which can be created and designed in tandem with the hardware and software elements that will rely on it. This past Year, Apple delivered the A11 Bionic, a powerful portable CPU with built-in Artificial Intelligence Power. The brand new A12 Bionic assembles on this brief legacy having a more strong Neural Engine and much more impressive graphics functionality. Anytime I critique a new iPhone, I begin using Geekbench 4 to check out the raw CPU operation. To ensure there are minimum background processes moving, I usually run the exam before I have set up one program. I conducted the Geekbench CPU routine and (along with understanding that Apple stuffed an additional gig of memory inside the brand new Xs class iPhones) saw the only core scores had improved somewhat between the A11 Bionic along with A12 Bionic. On the other hand, that the multi-core score was strangely lower. Not by a lot, but I had never seen that occur. The numbers were much higher than what I got from Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845, however a decrease effect on the new iPhone did not make sense. However, when I reran the Geekbench CPU test per day or so after, the A12 multi-core numbers defeat those of the A11. My guess is that, even though I set up the iPhone Xs and Xs Max as fresh iPhones, there might nevertheless have been a background installation process going on that dragged down the CPU numbers. The bigger leap in functionality is from the Geekbench Compute Metal score, which leapt from 15,145 on the iPhone X into 22,245 about the Iphone Xs and Xs Max. Apple's done a great deal of work to beef up images performance, especially for the raft of ARKit 2 (and Metal 2) software heading into the platform, some of which can support multiplayer gambling. While there aren't a lot of ARKit 2 programs in the app shop, I'd get some hands-on time using an Iphone Xs running Galaga AR, the identical demo Apple showed off throughout the iPhone Xs unveiling. To play with, me and a few other writers stood about a desk and pointed out our phones at the Galaga video arcade game console. Shortly, alien attackers began streaming first from the video game display and then from all around us. I swung the telephone from side-to-side up and up and down to view and then take the incoming assault. It was fast-paced and cool. In the same way, I have seen , together with ARKit two, the phone can place, say, an incredibly realistic virtual pressure stove or sneaker to a real table or in my feet, the illusion divided only once I slid my hand into the frame and, even about the iPhone Xs screen, it looked just like my notes had been stuck beneath the kettle. You can not support these types of real-virtual mixes without ample graphics horsepower, thickness mapping, and the AI needed to identify the way surfaces, shadows, and even reflections will work on virtual items in an actual space. This processing power also helped amp up more ordinary operations such as Face ID. While the process of registering my face was unchanged from the first iPhone X, opening either telephone with my head, as well as using Face ID to access password-protected apps and solutions, is clearly quicker than it had been on the iPhone X. In general, in real-world programs, both iPhone Xs and Xs Max operate smoothly. Apple place tremendous effort into enhancing the picture and video experience to the Iphone Xs and Xs Max. Along with new lenses along with a larger detector, both the cameras (rear and selfie) are all backed with a brand new image signal processor. The specs on the dual cameras have been untouched by the iPhone X (and would be the exact same on both iPhone Xs and Xs Max). There is the 1.8 wide angle lens and the f 2.4 2X telephoto. Both comprise optical image stabilization and may shoot up to 4K video in 60 fps. They still take slow-motion video at up to 240 frames per minute. If you want insane 960 fps super-slo-mo, then you will have to visit Samsung. From the pure-play digital photography race, even however, Apple requires the head. The Smart HDR uses detector, ISP, and neural enhancements to catch some of the greatest high-dynamic range photos I've ever seen. The difference between what was possible on the first iPhone X along with the Xs and Xs Max is stunning. Apple built a system able of capturing two frames every thirtieth of a moment, and instantly assessing and combining them into one image that preserves not only foreground and background detail, but can freeze actions without presenting tremendous grain. In many images, I saw the iPhone Xs and Xs Max find colour and detail in shadowy spaces with out wasting out the brighter locations. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is also an outstanding low light shot, however I feel the Xs line is a bit better. I am particularly impressed by how Apple's built upon its own pole position in Portrait Mode digital photography. Apple introduced Portrait Mode back in 2016 with all the iPhone 7 Plus (the applications lagged from the hardware). Since then, Apple's elegant the concept, adding things like Studio Light, Contour Light, Stage Light, and Stage Light Mono. All these features remain, and are somewhat improved. That which I love and also, as an amateur photographer who often plays with f-stops for just the ideal depth of field change, is that the brand new Depth Control. Depth Control enables you to take a Portrait Mode photo and adjust the Bokeh, or depth of field focus, after you shoot the photos. This works with both the front and rear cameras, which means that the image processor is using two distinct sorts of depth information. On the back, it has the advantage of two lenses to become stereoscopic info. The leading camera counts on the depth-sensing components. I am aware of, Samsung's Galaxy Notice 9 provides the capacity to correct background focus while you're taking the image, in addition to after. But, there's an essential difference here that is evident in the iPhone Xs and Xs Max Depth picture editor. It is a slider that lets you adjust smoothly from an electronic f 1.4 aperture into a digital f16. In a real camera with a mechanical aperture, even high amounts interpret to sharper focus in the backdrop and reduced numbers imply the focus depth is much shallower. About the Galaxy Notice 9, Live Focus basically sees the images as two planes: the foreground and background. The slider blurs the background airplane. The Iphone Xs's depth slider relies on all of the depth information to reduce or enhance background attention through all of the airplanes between the front of this subject and the desktop. Combined with the improved Portrait Mode stitching (handling how the subject and a blurred background match together), the subtlety of this effect through the array of virtual f-stops is impressive and, Apple's explained, is modeled by how actual lenses with hardware apertures would influence each image. For most people the smart phone is their camera. This sets a pro-level controller in the hands of millions of individuals, that are about to start taking some genuinely fantastic face pictures. Just after taking regular shots, video, and 4K, I remain surprised with the quality of photos and videos coming from their Iphone Xs and Xs Max. Sure, it is odd that the larger Xs Max does not, as could be tradition, have some improved image capturing attributes, however I doubt anyone is going to be dismayed with the picture quality delivered by either new smartphone. There are a couple of other hardware-related improvements, like the guaranteed dual-sim technologies that enables multiple phone numbers (believe work and individual numbers of one telephone ) through the aid of eSIM technologies. Unlike routine SIMs, you don't need a carrier card solely for the provider to support it and enable it on your cell phone. It's a wonderful feature that, for obvious reasons, I couldn't test. For audio enthusiasts, there's also the newest stereo recording and also wider-stereo playback. This is just a bit hard to check, and that I occasionally worry my ears are not adequate to detect what might be a more nuanced difference. But, I'd find a way. I listed , in landscape style, a few cars traveling by. These start on the left side of this screen and push to the rightside. In movie I recorded with the iPhone Xs, the noise travels from one side of the telephone to the other. Playback on the iPhone X is pretty loud however does not have the identical level of separation audio.

Clearly, movies with a lot of sound engineering aren't only great showcases for the amazing displays, but highlight the new, wider stereo playback abilities as well. As hardware/software partnerships go, you can't do better than the Apple iPhone Xs and iOS 12. I have been operating betas of their new portable OS for months on my iPhone X and found it impressively smooth and stable. On the Iphone Xs and Xs Max, it gets even better partners. In addition to butter-smooth and lighting rapid operation (in games, video, and internet browsing), the augmented reality abilities introduced in iOS 11, ARKit, and the iPhone X are more refined and customizable from iOS 12 along with the Iphone Xs. The smart assistant is a better listener than ever, and getting smarter. Her speech is more conversational and she's requesting follow-up questions. Siri can be more proactive, discovering connections between disparate items such as schedules and locations and offering them in advance. Additionally, there are a variety of third party programs tapping into Siri, letting you use only your voice to get program attributes and data without even opening the app. You are able to install iOS 12 on your old iPhone (down to this Iphone 5s), however not all of attributes, especially those between AR, will work on the older devices. Still, I greatly recommend the upgrade with at least anyone operating an iPhone 7 and up. It is simply a much better, more glossy, proactive, and smart user experience and, to be fair, I've barely scratched the face of all the upgrades and feature enhancements you'll find. Apple asserts 30 minutes more battery life involving the Iphone X and Xs and 90 minutes more with all the Iphone Xs Max. In my experience, both brand new phone will get you through the majority of the afternoon on a single charge. I spent using just the iPhone Xs Max. this article I kept the brightness high and ran all kinds of apps and processes. It lasted just a solid 10 hours. Maybe a bit less than I expected, but still enough for me through the majority of the working day. In all honesty, with less than a week under my belt, it's difficult to offer a complete evaluation of battery life performance. There are many factors and, clearly, battery life is going to be good on brand new phones. Talk to me in 6 months or 1 year, and we're going to see if I'm still happy with battery life. It is not strange that Apple didn't bring down the cost for the brand new $999 Iphone Xs (or hold on the original model and market it at a lower cost ). I'm not even shocked that we finally have an almost $1,100 model or that we're able to pay a whopping $1,449 for the 512 GB Iphone Xs Max (which appears to be the version that I tested). Apple's already demonstrated that individuals will pay virtually anything to get their hands on the newest iPhone. Is $1,000 or more to cover a smart phone? Perhaps, however a lot of us think of the entire cost as opposed to monthly payments? I am, however, a little annoyed that Apple stopped the lightning -to-3.5 millimeter adapter. It is as if, in the past 12 months, we have gotten rid of the Beats and Bose headsets, such as it is a solved problem. Memo to Apple: It is not. What I will say is that these are the iPhones you want. The iPhone Xs does not mess with what I consider a timeless design, and the Xs Max only takes all that is amazing about the iPhone X also enlarges it. As a set, they are equally as beautiful as the original home-button-free Iphone X. The design appears particularly tasteful in a golden finish. Photographers will love the new camera, and also players and content customers will want the big-display iPhone Xs Max. Should you currently own the iPhone X, I still would not update unless you need more realistic augmented reality and also full depth control on your own portraits. For iPhone 6s, 7, 8, and even 8 Plus officers, the iPhone Xs and Xs Max will certainly feel as a giant leap to the foreseeable future.

[weekendwarriorblog]

The Weekend Warrior Home Edition 7/31/20 – THE SHADOW OF VIOLENCE, SUMMERLAND, THE SECRET: DARE TO DREAM, SHE DIES TOMORROW and More!

As I started to gather what’s left of my wits for this week’s column, there seemed to be fewer movies than usual, and I was quite thankful for that. Then, a few of the movies scheduled for some sort of theatrical release this weekend were delayed and I discovered a bunch of movies I didn’t have in my release calendar to begin with, so this is a little bit of an odd weekend but still one with 8 movies reviews! I went into most of the movies this weekend without much knowledge of what they were about, probably was the best way to go into many of them, since it allowed me to be somewhat open-minded about what I was watching.

The first surprise of the week is that we’re getting another decent film from the one and only Saban Films, so maybe the VOD distributor has been using the pandemic to step up its game as well.  Directed by first-time feature director Nick Rowland, the Irish crime-drama THE SHADOW OF VIOLENCE (Saban Films), based on the book “Calm with Horses,” stars relative newcomer Cosmo Jarvis as Douglas Armstrong, known as “Arm,” the enforcer for the drug-dealing Devers family. Douglas also has a young toddler with local woman Ursula (Niamh Algar), but when his handler Dympna (Barry Keoghan) orders Arm to kill for the first time, he’s forced to rethink his career.

Much of the story revolves a member of the Devers family caught making a lurid pass at Dympha’s 16-year-old sister, leading to consequences, as Arm is sent to beat the crap out of him. For head of the family, that isn’t nearly enough and soon, Arm is ordered to kill the man. (This aspect of the story reminds me a little of Todd Field’s Little Children, particularly the Jackie Earle Haley subplot.)

As I mentioned above, I watched this film with zero expectations and was taken quite aback by how great it was, despite not having been that big a fan of Keoghan from some of his past work. On the other hand, Cosmo Jarvis, in his first major role, is absolutely outstanding, giving a performance on par with something we might see from Thomas Hardy or Matthias Schoenaerts, at least in their earlier work. Barely saying a word, Jarvis instills so many emotions into “Arm” as we see him playing with his young autistic son, Jack, trying to keep his jealousy over Ursula under control, while also being there when Dympna needs him.  Even as you think you’re watching fairly innocuous day-to-day stuff, Rowland ratchets up the tension to an amazing degree right up until a climactic moment that drives the last act.

Despite the film’s title, The Shadow of Violence isn’t just about violence, as much as it is about a man trying to figure out how to change the trajectory of his life. If you like character-based films like The Rider, this movie is definitely going to be for you. Another surprise is that the movie will be available only in theaters this Friday, rather than the typical VOD approach Saban Films generally takes, so check your local theater if it’s playing near you.

The faith-based drama THE SECRET: DARE TO DREAM (Lionsgate), starring Katie Holmes and Josh Lucas, is directed by Andy Tennant (Hitch, Sweet Home Alabama) and adapted from Rhonda Byrne’s self-help book, The Secret (which is based on a 2006 movie also called The Secret). Originally planned for a theatrical release, it’s now being released as PVOD, which seems to be the way that so many movies are going now. In it, Holmes plays Miranda Wells, a struggling widow living in New Orleans with three kids who on a stormy night meets a kind stranger (Lucas) who tries to pass on his philosophy of using positive thinking to get whatever you want in life.  

Mini-Review: I don’t usually buy into some of the faith-based movies that are released every year, but that’s mainly because I rarely get a chance to see any of them, so why bother?  I was ready to go into The Secret: Dare to Dream with a healthy amount of skepticism, because it seemed to be another movie about grand miracles… but in fact, it’s just a bland movie pimping Rhonda Byrne’s New Thought technique from her New Age-y self help book.

The idea is that positive thinking is all that it takes to get anything you want, something no less than Oprah quickly glommed onto.  While the movie doesn’t hit you over the head with such a message, and “God” is only mentioned once, it also just doesn’t seem to offer much in terms of storytelling to maintain one’s interest.

Katie Holmes does a fine job playing an amiable single mother who meets Josh Lucas’ Bray Johnson as a huge storm is about to hit New Orleans, and he seems like a nice enough fellow as he helps her replace a broken bumper (after she rear-ended him, no less) and then fixing up the house after the storm. But Bray has a secret (hence the title) and it’s in an important envelope that he hesitates to give to Miranda.

The film’s biggest problem is that there never is much in terms of stake when it comes to the drama, because Bray seems to be there to fix everything and make everything better. Miranda’s only other real relation is an awkward one with Jerry O’Connell’s long-time (presumably platonic) friend Tucker, which only gets more awkward when he surprises her by popping the question. She says “Yes” without talking to her own kids first.  The whole time while watching the film, I was expecting some sort of big Nicholas Spark level romance between Miranda and Bray, so when Tucker proposes, it throws a real spanner in the works, but only for a little while.

Incidentally, the “secret” of the title that Bray resists telling Miranda until pressured isn’t particularly groundbreaking either. I won’t ruin it. You’ll just be annoyed when it’s finally revealed.

The Secret: Dare to Dream is as generic and bland a tale you can possibly get, one that really doesn’t accomplish very much and feels more like a Lifetime movie than something particularly revelatory.

Rating: 6/10

Jessica Swale’s WW2-set SUMMERLAND (IFC Films) stars Gemma Arterton as fantasy author Alice Lamb, quietly living on the South of England in a small beachside town when she’s presented with a young London evacuee named Frank (Lucas Bond) for her to mind while his father’s at war.  Alice lives alone but many years earlier, she had a friendship with a local woman named Vera (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) that turned into something more, despite the taboo of their relationship during those times.

This was another nice surprise, and as I watched the movie, it was hard not to compare it to last week’s Radioactive, since they’re movies intended to appeal to a similar audience. This one seems to be more focused, and Arterton does a better job being likeable despite being as persnickety as Pike’s Marie Currie. Although this isn’t a biopic, it did remind me of films like Goodbye Christopher Robin and Tolkien, and possibly even Finding Neverland. (Incidentally, the Summerland of the title is a mythical place that Alice is writing about, which adds to the fairy tale angle to the film.)

As the film goes along, there’s a pretty major twist, of sorts, and it’s when the stakes in the film start to feel more dramatic as things continue to elevate into the third act. The movie actually opens in 1975 with Penelope Wilton playing the older Alice, although I’m not sure the framing sequence was particularly needed for the film to work the way Swale intended.

Summerland is generally just a nice and pleasant film that stirs the emotions and shows Swale to be a filmmaker on the rise.

Another really nice indie film that might involve a bit more searching is director Sergio Navaretta’s THE CUBAN (Brainstorm Media), written by Alessandra Piccione. It follows 19-year-old Mina (played by Ana Golja), a Canadian pre-med student who lives with her aunt, Bano (Shohreh Aghdashloo), who pushes her career in medicine, although Mina would rather be a singer. At her part-time job at a long-term care facility, Mina meets Luis (Louis Gossett Jr.), a quiet elderly patient who sits in his wheelchair never talking to anyone until Mina discovers his love for music, and the two bond over that, although Mina’s employers don’t think she’s helping Luis despite his obvious change in nature.

This was just a lovely film driven by Golja, who is just wonderful in the lead role with an equally terrific cast around her, and while it gets a little obvious, I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying this film that harks back to some of the great earlier work by Thomas McCarthy, as it follows a touching story that mixes a number of cultures in a surprisingly fluid way. It turned out to be quite a pleasant and unexpected film in the way it deals with subjects like dementia in such a unique and compelling away, especially if you enjoy Cuban music.

The Cuban already played at a couple Canadian theaters, but it will be available via Virtual Cinema and in some American theaters Friday, and you can find out where at the Official Site.

I was pretty excited to see Amy Seimetz’s new film, SHE DIES TOMORROW (NEON), since I was quite a fan of her previous film, Sun Don’t Shine. Besides having played quite a fantastic role in recent independent cinema through her varied associations, Seimetz also cast Kate Lyn Sheil, a fantastic actress, in the main role. It’s a little hard to explain the film’s plot, but essentially Sheil plays Amy, a woman convinced she’s going to die tomorrow, a feeling that starts spreading to others around her. I’m not sure if you would get this just from watching the film, because it’s pretty vague and even a little confusing about what is happening despite the high concept premise.

For the first 15 minutes or so, the camera spends the entire time watching Sheil as she cries and hugs a wall, while listening to the same opera record over and over. When her friend Jane (Jane Adams) comes over to check on her, she finds her vacuuming in a fancy dress. Amy tells her friend that she’s going to die tomorrow, and she wants to be turned into a leather jacket. Soon, after we’re watching Jane, a scientist, going down the same wormhole as Amy. That’s pretty much the running narrative, although the film opens up when we meet some of Jane’s family and friends, including Katie Aselton, Chris Messina, Tunde Adebimpe, Michelle Rodriguez and more. Soon after we meet them, they TOO are convinced that they’re going to die tomorrow. Incidentally (and spoiler!), no one actually dies in the movie. Heck, I’d hesitate even to call this a “horror” movie because it takes the idea of a pandemic that we’ve seen in movies like Bird Box, Contagion and others and sucks all the genre right out of it, but it still works as a character piece.

The thing is that the film looks great and also feels quite unique, which does make She Dies Tomorrow quite compelling, as well as a great vehicle for both Sheil and Seimetz. Even so, it’s also very much a downer and maybe not the best thing to watch if you aren’t in a good place, emotionally. You’ve been warned. It will open at select drive-ins this weekend, but it will then be available via VOD next Friday, August 7.

Next up, we have two fantastic and inspiring docs that premiered at Sundance earlier this year…

In recent years, Ron Howard has made a pretty amazing transition into respectable documentary filmmaker, and that continues with REBUILDING PARADISE (National Geographic), which takes a look at the horrible fires that struck Northern California in November 2018, literally wiping out the town of Paradise and leaving over 50,000 people homeless and killing roughly 85 people.

It’s really horrifying to see the amount of destruction caused when a spark from a faulty transmission line ignites the particularly dry forest surrounding the town of Paradise, destroying the hospital and elementary school and displacing the homeowners. This is obviously going to be a tough film to watch, not only seeing the fires actually raze the town to the ground but also watching these not particularly wealthy people having to contend with losing their homes. (It’s even tougher to watch now since you wonder how COVID may have affected the town as it’s in better shape now then it was last year.)

Using a cinema verité approach (for the first time possible?), Howard finds a small group of people to follow, including the town’s former mayor, the school superintendent, a local police officer, and others.  It’s pretty impressive how much time this doc covers, and often, you may wonder if Ron Howard was there at all times, because it seems like he would have to have been embedded with the townspeople for an entire year to get some of the footage.

As I said, this is not an easy film to watch, especially as you watch these people dealing with so much tragedy – if you’ve seen any of the docs about Sandy Hook, you might have some idea how hard this movie may be to watch for you. But it is great, since it shows Howard achieving a new level as a documentary filmmaker with a particularly powerful piece.  

Produced by Kerry Washington, THE FIGHT (Magnolia Pictures) is the latest doc from Weiner directors Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman, this time joined as director by that film’s editor, Eli B. Despres. The “fight” of the title is the one between the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Trump administration that began shortly after his inauguration in 2017, his Muslim travel ban that quickly followed, and going up until mid-2019 when a lot of obvious civil rights violations were being perpetrated by the U.S. government.

This is a particularly interesting doc if you weren’t aware of how active the ACLU has been in helping to protect people’s rights on a variety of fronts. The doc covers four particular cases involving immigration, LGBTQ rights, voting rights and reproductive rights, and we watch the lawyers involved in four important cases, including a few that are taken right up to the Supreme Court. In following these four particular lawyers, the filmmakers do a great job helping the viewer understand how important the ACLU is in keeping the conservative right at bay from trying to repeal some previous laws made to protect Americans’ rights. 

Of course, this film is particularly timely since it covers a lot of dramatic changes, including the nomination of Justice Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, which ends up being ironic, since he was the judge presiding over an earlier ACLU case involving a pregnant teen immigrant who isn’t allowed to get an abortion. The movie doesn’t skirt the fact that often the ACLU is called upon to help the likes of white supremacists and potential terrorist factions, since they’re about protecting everyone’s rights. I would have loved to hear more about this, but it does cover the backlash to the ACLU after the Charlottesville protests went horribly wrong in 2017.

Be warned that there are moments in this film where the waterworks will start flowing since seeing the ACLU succeed against oppression is particularly moving. If you’ve been following the country’s shifting politics keenly and want to learn more about the ACLU, The Fight does a great job getting behind closed doors and humanizing the organization.

The Fight will be available on all digital and On Demand platforms starting Friday, and you can find out how to rent it at the Official Site.

Vinnie Jones (remember him?) stars in Scott Wiper’s crime-thriller THE BIG UGLY (Vertical) about a pair of British mobsters who travel to West Virginia to make an oil deal in order to launder money. Once there, they encounter some troubles with the locals, particularly the sadistic son of Ron Perlman’s Preston, the man with whom they’re dealing.

Sometimes, as a film critic, you wonder how a movie that has so much potential can turn into such an unmitigated disaster, but then you watch a movie like The Big Ugly, and you realize that some bad filmmakers are better at talking people into doing things than others.

That seems to be the case with this film in which Jones plays Leland, who comes to West Virginia with his boss Harris (McDowell) to make an oil deal with Ron Perlman’s Preston, only for the latter’s son “PJ” (Brandon Sklenar) causing trouble, including the potential murder of Leland’s girlfriend. Of course, one would expect to see tough guy Vinnie Jones out for revenge against the endless parade of sleaze-balls he encounters, and that may have been a better movie than what Wiper ended up making, which is all over the place in terms of tone. (It was only after I watched the film did I realize that Wiper wrote and directed the absolutely awful WWE Film, The Condemned, also starring Jones. If I only knew.)  

Jones isn’t even the worst part of the cast, in terms of the acting, because both McDowell and Perlman, two great actors, struggle through the terrible material, though Perlman generally fares better than McDowell, who doesn’t seem to be giving it his all.

There’s a whole subplot involving one of PJ’s friends/co-workers (recent Emmy nominee Nicholas Braun from  HBO’s Succession) and his relationship with a pretty local (Lenora Crichlow) that goes nowhere and adds nothing to the overall story. Once PJ is seemingly dealt with, there’s still almost 35 minutes more of movie, including a long monologue by Perlman telling a sorely wasted Bruce McGill how he met McDowell’s character. Not only does it kill any and all momentum leading up to that point, but it’s probably something that should have been part of the set-up earlier in the film.

The fact this movie is so bad is pretty much Wiper’s fault, becuase he wrote a script made up of so many ideas that never really fit together – kind of like Guy Ritchie doing a very bad Deliverance remake before deciding to turn it into a straight-up Western. Wiper then tries his hardest to salvage the movie by throwing in violence and explosions and leaning heavily on the soundtrack. (The fact that both this and the far superior The Shadow of Violence used a song from the Jam was not lost on this music enthusiast.) Regardless, The Big Ugly is a pretty detestable piece of trash that couldn’t end fast enough… and it didn’t. (It played in drive-ins and select theaters last Friday but will be available on digital and  On Demand this Friday.)

Available through Virtual Cinemas (supporting Film Forum and the Laemmle in L.A) is Martha Kehoe and Joan Tosoni’s documentary, Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind, about the Canadian singer-songwriter who changed people’s impressions of Canadian culture, covering Lightfoots’s greatest triumphs and failures.

Film at Lincoln Center’s Virtual Cinema will premiere Koji Fukada’s Japanese drama A Girl Missing (Film Movement) on Friday, while New York’s Metrograph Live Screening series continues this week with Manfred Kirchheimer’s Bridge High & Stations of the Elevated starting today through Friday, and then the premiere of Nan Goldin’s Sirens (with two other shorts) starting on Friday. You can subscribe to the series for $5 a month or $50 a year.

Premiering on Disney+ this Friday is Beyoncé’s Black is King, her new visual album inspired by the lessons from The Lion King, as well as the new original Muppets series, Muppets Now. Since I haven’t seen either Lion King movie, I’m definitely looking forward more to the Muppets returning to "television.”

Launching on Netflix today is Matias Mariani’s Shine Your Eyes about a Nigerian musician who travels to Sao Paulo to look for his estranged brother and bring him back to Nigeria, as well as Sue Kim’s doc short, The Speed Cubers, set in the world of competitive Rubik cube solving and the friendly rivalry between two young “speedcubers.” Also, Season 2 of The Umbrella Academy will premiere on Netflix this Friday.

Premiering on Shudder tomorrow (Thursday, July 30) is Rob Savage’s Host, the first horror movie made during the quarantine about a group of six friends who decide to hold a séance over Zoom.

Amazon’s drive-in series continues tonight with “Movies to Inspire Your Inner Child,” playing Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Hook.

Next week, more movies not in theaters!

By the way, if you read this week’s column and have bothered to read this far down, feel free to drop me some thoughts at Edward dot Douglas at Gmail dot Com or drop me a note or tweet on Twitter. I love hearing from readers … honest!

[kaelajaluagposts-blog]

Maria Mikaela Angelika G. Jaluag              MM26               Film Language

                                                  Midterms:                   Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag Vs. Insiang

Introduction to Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag

Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag is a drama type of film that is directed by Lino Brocka, one of the most influential filmmakers in the 1970s. It covers the life of Julio Madiaga, how he copes up with his life, and struggles during his move to Manila to find the love of his life Ligaya Paraiso. 

Synopsis of Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag

Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag  is the story of a young provincial fisherman named Julio Madiaga how he finds the love of his life Ligaya Paraiso in one of the biggest cities in the Philippines, Manila. It started when Ligaya was offered a good education and an opportunity for a career in Manila from a stranger named Mrs. Cruz. Due to it being years and has not yet visited or returned to their province, Julio decided to follow after her and search for her. To at least survive in the city of Manila, He applied for a job in a construction site as a construction worker. As he struggles to cope between looking at the establishment he believes Ligaya lives in and due to poor money management, being naive and clueless, he undergoes the cruelty of Manila. After losing his job, he resulted in male prostitution, he was robbed and felt hopeless. Fast forward toward the movie when he saw Ligaya once more, after feeling as if the world was against him, he felt hope that he will be able to spend the rest of his life with her. But yet again fate has not been kind, for he found out from his friend that Ligaya Paraiso was reportedly killed the night they were supposed to escape her Chinese husband with her child. Due to heartbreak and sorrow, he went to the home of Ateng (Chinese husband of Ligaya), killed him, which caused chaos in the streets where he was chased by citizens and met the dead end to his life.

Likes and Dislikes

Likes:

Story

What I like about the story of Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag is how realistic it was. They did not try to sugarcoat the struggles you may experience here in Manila may it be a city or province citizen. Lino Brocka did an excellent job portraying the character of a poor fisherman, and how his life would change after adjusting from his previous simple life to this pure chaos. I guess I like how it can be expected that someday Julio might crack due to his random anger and violent outbreak in some scenes. It was understandable due to how many challenges he met on the  way to find Ligaya, then it all went to nothing after she was killed.

Impact

I am more of an impact type of person. If the film impacted me greatly, I cannot think straight, I kept on going back to the movie’s plot, analyzing and making sense of everything that had happened. And in this case Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag, impacted me emotionally and mentally. Why? It is because how the character was made, how the movie ended entirely. It was heartbreaking and disappointing. It just shows how Lino Brocka is trying to make it as realistic as possible, letting people feel this sort of connection towards the main character, sympathize and mourn with him. Even though I felt attacked and felt as if my light has been taken from me due to the dark and deep content of the story, it just shows how the director was able to make the film worth remembering despite its flaws.

Dislikes:

Main Character’s naivety  

We could agree that Julio Madiaga being naive of how life was in the city, is understandable. But it was annoying when he was not learning from his mistakes. Instead of finding a more suitable job, he resulted in male prostitution. And when he knew that he himself is in desperate need of financial help, firstly he helps his co-worker pay for his exam when he has absolutely nothing left, then with Perla, he just goes on and gives his money to help someone who does not need it. I am not saying that helping other people is bad, but there are certain limitations to what help you can give out to others.

Unnecessary scenes

Actually, you can already pinpoint some of the scenes that are not needed, for example the scene wherein Julio along with his friend Paul visited Atong’s sister, Perla. When you look at it from another perspective, it can be simplified into so many ways, just merely finding out about Atong’s death from his friends is enough. Perla though mentioned by Atong in some scenes can be an unnecessary character to have such a long scene.

Story

What I do not like about the plot is that it is too long. There were parts wherein I could not appreciate some scenes because I cannot piece the scenes together. And I dislike how confusing it was, there were a series of scene jumps that could had me asking, What happened? Was this before Ligaya left? Or after? Why did he have to do that? What is the connection? I do not know, maybe it was the director's intention or art form to make it that way, but sometimes it can mislead me to the main story and goal of the main character. 

There were too many long events that were unnecessary to what the Julio Madiaga was trying to achieve. Besides his lack of emotions can affect the story, I do not know if he was feeling shy, quiet, frustrated or any other emotions, besides being timid and had a few outbreaks of anger in between some scenes that would eventually lead him to break.

Was not Engaging enough

Lino Brocka is a great filmmaker and Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag was an interesting film, but for me it was not as appealing as the film Insiang. It did not give the excitement I was looking for. Maybe it was not meant for that purpose, but to make the audience feel the character more, put themselves in their shoes. But I really do prefer a more engaging film, with a plot that would really show one's character development and climax build up. The film’s climax only happened when Ligaya was killed which was towards the end of the film. Unlike Insiang wherein the main character was giving of signs that she was manipulating the people who hurt her, she in return hurt them back ten times worse.

Cheated Expectations

To be honest I was kind of expecting less, since I never expected that Ligaya was actually going to show up. Because of everything that had happened, many events occurred before Julio Madiaga found the love of his life Ligaya Paraiso. Just when I was being hopeless, just like the main character, the he would ever find his childhood sweetheart, she showed up.

I was actually hopeful and expecting that they would finally be together due to all those struggles just for Julio to find her, but no, I was outraged and pissed that that was not the case. After Julio found her, they caught up with each other,  spend the time to plan for an escape and meet up somewhere safe to go back home. But then I assumed the worst when she did not show up, I was trying to deny the fact that maybe she was killed because she was basically going to betray the agreement she had with her Chinese husband, Ateng, but unfortunately for Julio and the viewers that was indeed the case. It was only irritating how the film gave us hope that maybe, finally, Julio would experience something good in his experience in Manila, but no, that was pulled out the moment his friend Paul told him that Ligaya was reportedly dead in the newspaper.

Deep Dive

Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag a film released in 1975 is subtly a Martial Law film. Due to the fact that the Filipinos were prohibited to go against late president Ferdinand Marcos during his reign. Filmmakers such as Lino Brocka and Mike De Leon (despite being a supporter of Marcos), has to be subtle about introducing issues and struggles of our fellow Filipinos during Martial Law, the bloodshed and challenges they had to go through during his reign.

Despite how realistic the events that were taking place, with regards to the film theory it does not lean toward realism, rather it is more in the formalism side of the theory, due to the camera angles, has a different perspective, affects people’s emotions due to the plot and is edited.

Technicals

It is understandable since it is an old film, the quality is not that good yet. Visuals sometimes are unclear, but clear enough to see what was going on in the film, some audio are hard to understand due to the base of the voices played in Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag, but as I said I really cannot blame the movie for being in that kind of quality, due to it being a film in the 1970s.

Introduction to Insiang

Insiang is another film by Lino Brocka, that leans toward drama as well, but is mixed with something else. It covers the life of a young woman in the slums of Manila named Insiang, who lives with her mean, sharp-tongued and short tempered mother. Her life, how she endured and accepted her pain to feel the love of her mother, broken trust to her lover and being robbed of something she cannot get back. Her story transitioned to someone who was weak to someone who fights her own battles.

Synopsis of Insiang

The film starts off, within a slaughterhouse where Dado, the town bully butchers the pigs, which was filled with bloodshed. Then leads to Insiang how she lives her everyday life in the slums of Manila along with her mother Tonya and family relatives from her father’s side. This continues until Tonya drives their relatives out of her home to make way for her boyfriend Dado. even though Insiang is uneasy of having him inside the household, she cannot do a thing, due to her being obedient to her mother. Then the build-up started when Dado sexually harassed and raped Insiang, as she told her mother this information, Tonya confronted Dado and got angry for touching her daughter, but then turn her back on Insiang, due to being blind by Dado’s words. As Insiang went to her boyfriend Boyet, to ask him to just elope with her, he just took advantage of her situation, had a night with her then left her by morning, not even letting her know he was leaving. Due to being continuously being hurt and betrayed by the people around her, she formulated a plan of her own to get her revenge.

Firstly she manipulated Dado, letting him think she was in love with him, ordering him to beat up her ex boyfriend, Boyet for betraying her and taking advantage of her. Then she manipulated her mother, letting her think that Dado finds her disgusting and prefers Insiang over her, since she is so old. When Dado got home, Tonya (Insiang’s mother) witnessing their little affair, out of anger, decides to stab Dado to death for betraying her, while Insiang watches as her plan was working. Her mother paid the price of killing Dado in Jail, thus ends the story.

Likes and Dislikes

Likes:

Insiang’s Character Development 

I like how Insiang developed her character from someone timid, obedient, sad type of character to this strong-willed, brave and fierce woman who wants to fight for herself. I actually did not expect this to happen, at first I though she was just plainly stupid for letting Dado have a loving relationship with her, it just does not make sense, but the moment when she told her friend Nanding that she cannot leave beacuse she had finish something first that got me thinking that maybe she was not as stupid and as naive as I thought, she was actually brilliant to be able to come up a plan that can hurt the people who hurt her and killed the man who sexually assaulted her and coming out clean. She was able to fight back and manipulate the people around her to make her plan work.

Realistic situations

I like how Lino Brocka does not sugarcoat his scenes or the place wherein he was shooting, in a documentary wherein Lino discusses about his filming style during Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag, he mentioned that he wants it to be as realistic as possible, that is why he does not hire extras for his films and just allows the people in the venue to join his film. Not all filmmakers are able to risk doing that, usually some uses a set and just make background props for setting of each scene, but not Director Lino Brocka.

Story

What I like about the story is that the build up of the climax was great, at first you may not get the whole point, why Insiang was acting the way she did, or why was she allowing that to happen to her. But every bit of her action is a piece of a puzzle, which is what makes the story interesting. It did not have the missing or extra pieces like what I saw in Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag. Every scene is part of the main character’s goal, which was to get her revenge. Lino Brocka did well in putting together this film along with his team, it made the story greatly impact the audiences’ emotions and mentality much more than Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag.

Quality

Actually, despite being an old film, the quality of the film was great, plus colors are visually seen. The audio is clear as well.

Impact

This film, as mentioned before has impacted my emotions and mentality as well. Why? It’s because of the personality and feeling the character are trying to make the audience feel, for example, the scene wherein boyet was trying to convince Insiang to have a sexual interaction inside a cinema, despite Insiang insisting that it was wrong and that she did not like what he was doing to her, Boyet goes on saying “Eh lalaki ako Insiang mapipigilan ko ba sarili ko?”I was outraged, irritated, and I have to admit while watching the film with my blockmates, my male friends was also offended and annoyed by the fact he said that like, and I agree with them. If you truly love someone you are not going to force yourself upon them, but respect them and their decision of waiting for the right time. 

Application to today

To be honest, even though this was meant to be a Martial Law film. The issues that were portrayed in the film and can be applied and replated to today. Many issues regarding poverty, rape, disrespect and discrimination towards women. It is actually disappointing how it could not be avoided or changed anymore, there would always be a few people who would harass other people, the same gender or different. And how long it is taking for us to fix the issue regarding poverty. Where there is corruption there is poverty and when they is poverty there is corruption.

 Dislikes:

The Behavior of the Male Characters in the Film

If you watched the film, you would notice, most of the male characters in the movie Insiang, has a certain disrespect towards women. I know this was intentional since it somehow relates to what some men in the real world may act and not to mention it is common during the Martial Law. As a woman, myself, It drove me crazy not to be able to jump in the film myself and threaten those men myself. What the director is trying to convey works though, it is disappointing how some men may even act like that currently in this time.

Deep Dive

Insiang is an interesting and exciting film of Lino Brocka. Compared to Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag, the plot impacted me a lot more. Even though both are Martial Law films or Anti-Marcos films, you can represent Insiang more with regards to the characters and their behaviors, to the situation of our fellow Filipinos to what Insiang was feeling, along with Aling Tonya someone who is in denial with what was happening and Dado who represent the Martial Law itself of Marcos himself. And like Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag he subtly implied that he was portraying the challenges of the Filipinos during those times. Others may not get that, and this film would only just be another drama film according to them, but to those who analyze and actually do movie critics they would notice even some of the minor details. And as for the film theory, of course it would be obvious that it is under formalism since it also uses wild camera angles (high and low) to make the film more engaging and interesting, perspectives, editing, and affects the emotions of the audience.

Technicals

Visuals are clean and it could be a little shaky, but that is to be expected since we do not have good cameras before, not to mention stabilizers. The colors a realistic and bright, unlike Maynila sa Kuko sa Liwanag which was full of gloomy colors, which fits well with the story. The audio has little base, but it is also clear and can be understood.

Auteur Theory for both films

The Auteur Theory suggests that the director is the writer, the author of the whole film. He or She represents the quality of the film itself. But I say differently, for a whole film is a team effort. It is not like the director is the cameraman, music director, art director, writer or even the makeup artist, etc. He only directs them to make the film engaging ang pleasing to the eye. In the film Insiang, the actress, Hilda Koronel, did an excellent job portraying Insiang and Ligaya Paraiso in Maynila sa Kuko Liwanag, despite giving her a few scenes. 

The director does not define the quality of the film, for example, how I liked Insiang more than Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag despite having the same director. I agree with how the Auteur theory separates the film from the director, it makes much more sense. I really depends on how the story goes and how the movie was made by the team, not solely on the director himself, because there are good films and bad films, good directors and bad directors.

[invizblog]

COMPOSITION IN PHOTOGRAPHY

GUIDE TO COMPOSITION IN PHOTOGRAPHY – 20 TIPS

BARRY O CARROLL - http://www.bocphotography.com

INVIZ note: (This is a great guide for 3d artists trying to understand photographers approach to handling composition, composition is key to good architectural visualisation) 

Improve your photographic composition by following these guidelines.

There are no unbreakable rules when it comes to how you should compose your photographs After all, who likes rules except for your old school principal or heads of H.R. departments? There are however, several guidelines you can use to help improve the composition of your photos. In this tutorial, I’ve listed 20 of these guidelines along with examples of each. I’ve started with the most basic ones and finished with some of the more advanced composition techniques.

First of all we have to define what is meant by ‘composition’. Composition refers to the way the various elements in a scene are arranged within the frame. As I’ve already mentioned, these are not hard and fast rules but guidelines. That said, many of them have been used in art for thousands of years and they really do help achieve more attractive compositions. I find that I usually have one or more of these guidelines in the back of my mind as I’m setting up a shot.

We’ll start with probably the most well known composition technique: The Rule of Thirds.

1. Rule of Thirds

So I’ve just told you that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to composition and then the first thing I write about is the ‘rule’ of thirds. In my defence, I didn’t come up with the name. The rule of thirds is very simple. You divide the frame into 9 equal rectangles, 3 across and 3 down as illustrated below. Many camera manufacturers have actually included the capability to display this grid in live view mode. Check your camera’s manual to see how to turn on this feature.

The idea is to place the important element(s) of the scene along one or more of the lines or where the lines intersect. We have a natural tendency to want to place the main subject in the middle. Placing it off centre using the rule of thirds will more often than not lead to a more attractive composition.

In this photo, I’ve placed the horizon roughly along the bottom third of the frame and the biggest and closest trees along the line to the right. The photo wouldn’t have the same impact if the larger trees had been placed in the centre of the frame.

In this photo of the Old Town Square in Prague, I’ve placed the horizon along the top third of the frame. Most of the buildings sit in the middle third and the square itself occupies the bottom third of the frame. The spires of the church are placed near horizontal line to the right of the frame.

2. Centred Composition and Symmetry

Now that I’ve told you not to place the main subject in the centre of the frame, I’m going to tell you to do the exact opposite! There are times when placing a subject in the centre of the frame works really well. Symmetrical scenes are perfect for a centred composition. They look really well in square frames too.

This photo of the Ha’penny Bridge in my home city of Dublin was the perfect candidate for a centred composition. Architecture and roads often make great subjects for a centred compositions.

Scenes containing reflections are also a great opportunity to use symmetry in your composition. In this photo, I’ve actually used a mix of the rule of thirds and symmetry to compose the scene. The tree is positioned off centre to the right of the frame but the perfectly still water of the lake provides the symmetry. You can often combine several composition guidelines in a single photograph.

3. Foreground Interest and Depth

Including some foreground interest in a scene is a great way of adding a sense of depth to the scene. Photographs are 2D by nature. Including foreground interest in the frame is one of a number of techniques to give the scene a more 3D feel.

In this photograph of a waterfall in The Netherlands, the rocks in the river provided a perfect source of foreground interest. Adding foreground interest works particularly well with wide angle lenses.

I took this photograph in the Dublin Docklands. The dock cleats along the quay provided the foreground interest in this shot. I think it adds a real sense of depth to the composition. The dock cleat in this scene was only a few metres in front of me when I took this shot. Including it in the frame portrays a sense of depth in the scene by including an element that I was quite close to as well as the bridge and buildings in the distance and everything in between them.

A friend who was with me that evening tripped over one of the cleats and almost ended up getting a very close up view of the River Liffey. That’s one way of adding depth to the scene I guess.

4. Frame within the Frame

Including a ‘frame withing the frame’ is another effective way of portraying depth in a scene. Look for elements such as windows, arches or overhanging branches to frame the scene with. The ‘frame’ does not necessarily have to surround the entire scene to be effective.

In the photo on the right taken on St Mark’s Square in Venice, I used the archway to frame St Marks Basilica and the Campanile at the far end of the piazza. The use of scenery viewed through arches was a common feature of Renaissance painting as way of portraying depth. As you can see, the square was completely empty when I took the shot. This is one of the benefits of getting up at 5am. Early morning is one of my favourite times to get out and about with the camera.

Frames don’t have to be man made objects such as arches or windows. The photo below was taken in County Kildare in Ireland. This time, I used the tree trunk to the right and the overhanging branch to create a frame around the scene containing the bridge and boat house. Notice that even though the ‘frame’ doesn’t actually surround the whole scene in this case, it still adds a sense of depth.

Using a ‘frame within a frame’ presents a great opportunity to use your surroundings to be creative in your compositions

5. Leading Lines

Leading lines help lead the viewer through the image and focus attention on important elements. Anything from paths, walls or patterns can be used as leading lines. Take a look at the examples below.

In this photo of the Eiffel Tower, I used the patterns on the paving stones as leading lines. The lines on the ground all lead the viewer to the Eiffel Tower in the distance. You’ll also notice that I used a centred composition for this scene. The symmetry of my surroundings made this type of composition work well.

Leading lines do not necessarily have to be straight as illustrated by the picture above. In fact curved lines can be very attractive compositional features. In this case, the path leads the viewer to the right of the frame before swinging in to the left towards the tree. I also made use of the rule of thirds when composing the shot.

6. Diagonals and Triangles

It is often said that triangles and diagonals add ‘dynamic tension’ to a photo. My mother in law also does an excellent job of adding tension to any scene. What do we mean by ‘dynamic tension’ though? This can be a tricky one to explain and can seem a bit pretentious. Look at it this way, horizontal lines and vertical lines suggest stability. If you see a person standing on a level horizontal surface, he will appear to be pretty stable unless he’s stumbling out of a pub at 2am. Put this man on a sloping surface and he’ll seem less stable. This creates a certain level of tension visually. We are not so used to diagonals in our every day life. They subconsciously suggest instability. Incorporating triangles and diagonals into our photos can help create this sense of ‘dynamic tension’.

Incorporating triangles into a scene is a particularly good effective way of introducing dynamic tension. Triangles can be actual triangle shaped objects or implied triangles. I’ll explain this in more detail in a moment.

This picture of the Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin incorporates plenty of triangles and diagonals into the scene. The bridge itself is an actual triangle (It’s actually supposed to represent a Celtic Harp on its side). There are also several ‘implied’ triangles in the scene. Notice how the leading lines on the right of the frame are all diagonal and form triangles that all meet at the same point. These are ‘implied triangles’. Having diagonals going off in different direction adds a lot of ‘dynamic tension’ to the scene. Once again you can see how I have combined two techniques to compose the image: leading lines and diagonals.

In this photo of the Hotel de Ville in Paris, the implied triangles and diagonals create sense of dynamic tension. We are not used to seeing buildings leaning at such angles in our everyday life. It is slightly jarring to our sense of balance. This is what creates the visual tension. You can also talk about dynamic tension to sound intelligent (or annoyingly pretentious) in front of your friends.

7. Patterns and Textures

Human beings are naturally attracted to patterns. They are visually attractive and suggest harmony. Patterns can be man made like a series of arches or natural like the petals on a flower. Incorporating patterns into your photographs is always a good way to create a pleasing composition. Less regular textures can also be very pleasing on the eye.

The two photos above were both taken in Tunisia. In the one on the left, I’ve used the pattern in the paving stones to lead the eye to the domed building. The building itself incorporates a pattern in the form of a series of arches. The domed roof also compliments the rounded arches below.

In the second photo, I really liked the texture of the stone work on the ground. This is less regular than the pattern in the first photo but the play of light and shadow on the surface is very pleasant. There are also interesting textures to be on the walls and roof of the passage. You may also have noticed that the arch creates a ‘frame within a frame’ around the man and cafe on the other side of the archway.

8. Rule of Odds

In the world of photography, there are certainly plenty of ‘odds’ but the ‘rule of odds’ is something different entirely. The rule suggests that an image is more visually appealing if there are an odd number of subjects. The theory proposes that an even number of elements in a scene is distracting as the viewer is not sure which one to focus his or her attention on. An odd number of elements is seen as more natural and easier on the eye. To be honest, I think there are plenty of cases where this is not the case but it is certainly applicable in certain situations. What if you have four children? How do you decide which one to leave out of the shot? Personally, I’d go by future earning potential.

The photo above is an example of the rule of odds. I deliberately framed the scene to include three arches. I think that two arches would not have worked as well and may have divided the viewers attention. It also so happened that there were three people in the scene. This composition also makes use of patterns and ‘frames within a frame’.

In the photo of two gondoliers in Venice above, you will see that I’ve completely ignored the rule of odds. It is true that your attention may shift back and forth between each gondolier. However this is exactly what a conversation between two people is like, a back and forth. For this reason, I think the even number of subjects works in this case.

9. Fill the Frame

Filling the frame with your subject, leaving little or no space around it can be very effective in certain situations. It helps focus the viewer completely on the main subject without any distractions. It also allows the viewer to explore the detail of the subject that wouldn’t be possible if photographed from further away. Filling the frame often involves getting in so close that you may actually crop out elements of your subject. In many cases, this can lead to a very original and interesting composition.

In the photo of my pet cat on the left, you you’ll notice that I filled the frame completely with his face, even cropping out the edges of his head and mane. This allows the viewer to really focus on details such as the eyes or the textures in his fur. You may also notice that I used the rule of thirds in this composition. He is a lovely pet but you should see the state of our furniture. He also loves children but he couldn’t eat a whole one.

In the second shot of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, I have left very little space around the edges of the building. the point of this photograph is to showcase the architectural detail of the front facade of the building.

10. Leave Negative Space

Once again, I am going to completely contradict myself! In the last guideline, I told you that filling the frame works well as a compositional tool. Now I’m going to tell you that doing the exact opposite works well too. Leaving a lot of empty or ‘negative��� space around your subject can be very attractive. It creates a sense of simplicity and minimalism. Like filling the frame, it helps the viewer focus on the main subject without distractions.

This photo of a giant statue of the Hindu god Shiva in Mauritius is a good example of using negative space. The statue is obviously the main subject but I have left plenty of space filled only by sky around it. This focuses our attention on the statue itself while giving the main subject ‘space to breath’ so to speak. The composition also creates a sense of simplicity. There is nothing complicated about the scene. It is the statue surrounded by sky, that is all. I also used the rule of thirds to place the statue to the right of the frame.

11. Simplicity and Minimalism

In the last guideline, we saw how leaving negative space around the main subject can create a sense of simplicity and minimalism. Simplicity itself can be a powerful compositional tool. It is often said that ‘less is more’. Simplicity often means taking photos with uncomplicated backgrounds that don’t distract from the main subject. You can also create a simple composition by zooming in on part of your subject and focusing on a particular detail.

In this first photo, I zoomed in on some water droplets on a leaf in a garden. It’s such a simple subject but is also very beautiful because of its simplicity. A good macro lens can be a very useful tool for creating these types of photos.

In the second photograph of a tree at dawn, I made use of a very simple and uncluttered background to focus attention on the tree. This photo makes use of ‘negative space’ to create a sense of simplicity and minimalism. I’ve also used the rule of thirds and leading lines in the composition.

12. Isolate the Subject

Using a shallow depth of field to isolate your subject is a very effective way of simplifying your composition. By using a wide aperture, you can blur the background that might otherwise distract from your main subject. This is a particularly useful technique for shooting portraits. You can learn more about how to use different aperture settings in my tutorial on Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO.

In this photo of a cat hiding in a box, I set an aperture of f3.5 which is very wide and results in very blurred background. This focuses attention on the cat as the blurred background is now less distracting. This technique is an excellent way to simplify a composition. You may have noticed that I also used this technique to focus attention on the water droplets on the leaf in the last guideline.

13. Change your Point of View

Most photos are taken from eye level. In my case, that’s barely 5 feet! Getting high up or low down can be a way of creating a more interesting and original composition of a familiar subject. I’ve often seen wildlife photographers in particular lying in the mud on their bellies to get the perfect shot.

This shot of Paris at night was taken from the roof of the Montparnasse Tower in the 15th Arrondissement. Whenever I visit a city,I always try to see if there are any buildings with viewing platforms to allow to photograph the city from above. Getting high up gives you the chance to capture spectacular views of a city, especially at night.

Sometimes finding that perfect point of view means getting your feet wet. Above is a shot I took while standing in a stream in Ballyhoura, County Limerick, Ireland. I actually had to wait quite a while for a rain shower to pass and the sun to come back out. It was worth it though to get low down and capture the motion of the water as if flowed over the rocks. I needed several hot whiskeys after to warm myself back up though.

14. Look for Particular Colour Combinations

The use of colour itself is an often overlooked compositional tool. Colour theory is something that graphic designers, fashion designers and interior designers are all very familiar with. Certain colour combinations compliment each other well and can be visually very striking.

Take a look at the colour wheel to the right. You can see that the colours are arranged logically in the segments of a circle. Colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel are said to be ‘complimentary colours’. As photographers, we can look for scenes that incorporate complimentary colours as a way of creating attractive and striking compositions.

Have you ever noticed how many movie posters have blue and yellow/orange colour schemes? This is done quite deliberately to create eye catching adverts. Click here to see just how many famous movies use this colour scheme in their advertising posters.

I made use of the striking blue/yellow colour combination myself in this photograph of the Custom House in Dublin. The yellow hues of the illuminated building contrast beautifully with the deep blue of the blue hour sky.

Red and blue are also complimentary colours on the colour wheel. The Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre in Dublin was lit up red for Christmas last year. This was very striking against the deep blue of the early night sky. I love photographing cities during blue hour. The deep blue of the sky at this time a very attractive backdrop to the city architecture and lights. The pure black of the late night sky is not as striking and contrasts too sharply with the lights of the city.

15. Rule of Space

The rule of space relates to the direction the subject(s) in your photo are facing or moving towards. If you are taking a photo of a moving car for example, there should be more space left in the frame in front of the car than behind it. This implies that there is space in the frame for the car to move into. Take a look at the example of the boat below.

In this photo, the boat is placed on the left hand side of the frame as it moves from left to right. Notice how there is a lot more space for the boat to move into in front of its direction of motion (to the right) than behind it. We can mentally imagine the boat moving into this space as it sails along the river. We also have a subconscious tenancy to look forward to where an object is heading. If the boat was right up at the right hand side of the frame, this would lead us out of the photograph!

This can also be used for pictures of pictures of people. The rule of space suggests that the subject should be looking or facing into the frame rather than out of it. Take a look at the musician in the photo above. I composed the shot with him sitting on the left hand side of the frame. He is facing to the right (as we look at him) into the area of space between him and the right hand edge of the frame. If he had been facing the other way, he would be looking out of the frame and this would look odd. By looking into the space in the frame, he leads our eye past the man leaning on the railing and to the couple dancing on the right hand side.

16. Left to Right Rule

There is theory that says we ‘read’ an image from left to right in the same way we would read text. For this reason, it is suggested that any motion portrayed in a photograph should flow from left to right. This is all very well but it assumes the viewer is from a country were text is read from left to right. Many languages are read from right to left such as Arabic for example. To be honest, I’ve seen plenty of fantastic photographs that ‘flow’ from right to left.

I was once criticised by a judge for the fact that a woman in a photo I took was walking from right to left. He told me it didn’t follow the ‘left to right’ rule. I reminded the judge that the photo was taken in Tunisia where people read from right to left. I didn’t win.

The photo above follows the ‘left to right’ rule. The woman walking her dog in the Tuileries Garden in Paris is walking from the left to the right of the frame. This photo also adheres to the ‘rule of space’. You will notice that the there is much more space in front the woman than behind her. She has plenty of ‘space’ to walk into in the frame. I also used the rule of thirds and a ‘frame within a frame’ to compose this photograph.

17. Balance Elements in the Scene

The first compositional guideline we looked at in this this tutorial was the ‘rule of thirds’. This of course means that we often place the main subject of the photo to the side of the frame along one of the vertical grid lines. Sometimes this can lead to a lack of balance in the scene. It can leave a sort of ‘void’ in the rest of the frame.

To overcome this, you can compose your shot to include a secondary subject of lesser importance or size on the other side of the frame.  This balances out the composition without taking too much focus off the main subject of the photograph.

Take a look at the photograph of the ornate lamppost on the Pont Alexandre III in Paris. The lamppost itself fills the left side of the frame. The Eiffel Tower in the distance counter balances this on the other side of the frame.

You may have remarked that this seems to go against the idea of negative space mentioned in guideline number 10. It also contradicts the ‘rule of odds’ as we now have an even number of elements in the scene. As I said at the very beginning of this tutorial, there are no unbreakable rules in photographic composition. Some of these guidelines contradict each other and that’s ok. Some guidelines work well for certain types of photographs and not others. It’s a question of judgement and experimentation.

The photo above was taken in Venice. Once again, a decorative lamppost dominates one side of the frame. The church tower in the distance provides balance on the other side of the frame.

This also has a secondary effect on the composition. The church tower in the distance is obviously much bigger than the lamppost in real life. It appears smaller in the photograph as it is far away. This helps add a sense of depth and scale to the scene.

18. Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition is very powerful compositional tool in photography. Juxtaposition refers to the inclusion of two or more elements in a scene that can either contrast with each other or compliment each other. Both approaches can work very well and play an important part in enabling the photo to tell a story.

Take a look at this photo taken in Paris. In the bottom half of the frame, we have the slightly rough and ready book stands full of clutter and posters hanging from the tops. Rising above all of this however is the magnificent medieval Notre Dame Cathedral. This architectural gem is the epitome of order and structure unlike the unsophisticated but attractive book stalls below. They seem to be in direct contrast with each other yet they work well together. They both represent the city of Paris in different ways. They tell a story about two different elements of the city.

The photo above was also taken in France, but this time in the picturesque little village of Meyssac in the South West. In this shot, the old Citroen 2CV car looks perfectly at home in front of the typical French cafe in the background. The two elements compliment each other perfectly. The man with his back to us in the cafe is the owner of the car and he seemed surprised when I asked if it was ok to take a picture of his car. He asked why I’d ever want to take a photo of ‘that old thing’. He didn’t seem to realise that he had unwittingly set up a quintessentially French scene by parking in front of that particularly cafe.

19. Golden Triangles

Are you still with me? We’re almost there…. I promise. The golden triangles composition works in a very similar way to the rule of thirds. Instead of a grid of rectangles however, we divide the frame with a diagonal line going from one corner to another. We then add two more lines from the other corners to the diagonal line. The two smaller lines meet the big line at a right angle as is illustrated below. This divides the frame into a series of triangles. As you can see, this way of composing helps us introduce an element of the ‘dynamic tension’ we learned about in guideline number 6. As with the rule of thirds, we use the lines (of the triangles in this case) to help us position the various elements in the scene.

The photo above contains strong diagonals that follow the lines of the ‘golden triangles’. The light trails from the traffic perfectly follow the diagonal line running from the top right hand corner to the bottom left hand corner. The tops of the buildings on the left are close to the smaller diagonal on the left. The small line on the right meets the larger line at the top corner of the buildings.

The photo above makes use of the ‘rule of triangles’ in a more subtle way. The heads of the statues create an ‘implied triangle’. This line leads us to the Eiffel Tower in the distance. The smaller line on the left meets the longer line right at the halfway point of the Eiffel Tower. The smaller line on the right goes right between the two statues. The rule of triangles can seem like a complex way of arranging a photo but it can result in some really striking compositions.

20. Golden Ratio

What is the golden ratio? Well it’s actually very simple:  two quantities are in the golden ratio if their ratio is the same as the ratio of their sum to the larger of the two quantities. Wait, what now? Ok, if that sounds too complicated, perhaps this mathematical formula will help:

What do you mean you’re even more confused now?

It’s true that the golden ratio method of composing a photograph can seem very complex at first. In reality it’s quite simple. It’s like a slightly more complex version of the rule of thirds. Instead of a regular grid, the frame is divided into a series of squares as in the examples below. This is known as a ‘Phi Grid’. You can then use the squares to draw a spiral that looks like a snail’s shell. This is called a ‘Fibonacci Spiral’. The squares help to position elements in the scene and the spiral gives us an idea of how the scene should flow. It’s a little like an invisible leading line.

It is believed that the golden spiral method of composition has been in existence for over 2,400 years having been devised in Ancient Greece. It is widely used in many types of art as well as architecture as a way of creating aesthetically pleasing compositions. It was particularly well employed in Renaissance art.

Ok, I have to admit something here. I have never actually purposely set out to compose a photograph using the golden ratio. When I looked back through my photographs, I did notice that I had unintentionally used it a few times.

I took this photo in Venice. The bridge and steps on the left occupy the large square to the right. The Fibonacci Spiral then leads us from here across the top of the bridge and down to the two women sitting next to it. It may have been a lucky accident but it seems to work!

The golden ratio can be set up in different directions. In this photo taken in Prague, the spiral leads us across the bridge to the castle on the far bank. Another lucky accident!

Obviously, it would be impossible to have all of these compositional guidelines in your mind as you are out shooting. Your brain would melt! However, a good exercise is to make an effort to use one or two of them each time you go out. You could do a photo session where you look for situations to use a ‘frame within a frame’ for example.

After a while, you’ll find that a lot of these guidelines become ingrained. You will begin to use them naturally without having to think about them. As you can see from the golden ratio, I even used one of them without even realising it!

Another good exercise is to look at some of the photos in my galleries or any collection of photos and try to see if you can tell which compositional techniques have been used.

I hope you found this tutorial useful and that it will help you bring your photography to the next level.