#kei posting art on main the world must b ending…

[mothssoup]

TRAFFIC SERIES RULE #1: don’t let grian at the explosives

[royallyanxious]

What makes a good lava cake

Paring: Prinxiety 

Summary: Roman wants to make a breakfast for Virgil. It does not go well. 

Thank you @quietlypondering for the inspiration :)

Word count: 1470

Triggers: fluff all the way through, a crack fic

Ao3

Let’s get one thing straight - Roman didn’t make a mess in the kitchen. He called it: an artistic chaos in the cooking space. There was nothing wrong with that. The flour all over the place was the sign of his never-dying dedication. The fact that he had to go cry in the bathroom when the cake turned out weirdly heavy and oddly tough, was clearly the final proof that he didn’t lack an artistic flare. After all art required sweat (been there), tears (checked) and blood (one drop that was spilled when he cut the chocolate was enough).

But even the greatest artist, had their mentors.

Roman dialed the number. 

“Roman.” Logan never asked. He stated.

“Logan.” replied Roman through his teeth. He would not cry to Logan on the phone.

“The sound of your voice suggests that you have water in your eyes.” 

Well, shit.

“I also have a question.” Roman rolled his eyes, “Let’s say you’re preparing a lava cake for the love of your life-”

“Patton prefers lemon tarts but go on…” Logan cut swiftly.

“Lava cake.” repeated Roman, “Are you sure that the lava part is supposed to be liquidy? Or maybe the recipes by ‘lava’ refer to… molten-rock-kind-of-lava?”

There was a beat of silence.

"... I think you know the answer to this question Roman. I'm hanging up right now."

"No! Nononono!" Roman roared desperately, "Please… Help me… " he added meekly, making sure that Logan still didn't end the call. 

A long sigh resonated through the phone. Roman was pretty sure that he could feel disappointed vibrations on his own skin. 

"Roman, I would love to help you," started Logan, his voice’s a tad softer than earlier, "But you know what mum always told you. You are not a good fit for a cook. Why won't you write a poem where you shall compare Virgil to a cupcake, instead of actually making a cupcake?"

"But where would be romance in this?" Cried Roman helplessly, trying to break his second cake with the first cake. 

"Virgil, loves you as much as you love him, brother. He would be thrilled to get anything from you, believe me." Logan said cooly, "Now stop this madness, clean up the mess and let me sleep. It's 6 in the morning." he finished.

Beep...

"Wait, what- Logan?" Roman asked, staring intensely at the phone, "Logan wait, I don't even know how to make a perfect- ugh."

The sound that slipped through Roman's parted lips, reminded more of a war cry than a frustrated growl. Luckily his neighbours knew about his love for Game Of Thrones so in a worst case scenario they'd think he decided to make a morning marathon. 

Roman brushed Virgil's purple apron off the white flour that was currently covering it. Or was that sugar? Roman wasn't sure. Perhaps that was why the cakes turned out strange after all.

It was time to face the music. 

Cake was not a good idea. 

Luckily, Roman wasn't the type of person who gave up easily. He pulled off the apron and carefully put the "cakes" into the trash can (he was afraid that if he dropped them, he would break tiles). The key was to prepare food - no one said it had to be a cake. Besides, lava cakes were overrated. Virgil didn’t even have instagram to post a picture of a perfect chocolate goo. Yes, apparently the universe wanted Roman to prepare something easier, something more mundane, something like… What did Logan say?

It was 6 am, wasn’t it?

“Breakfast it is then!” smiled Roman to himself, completely oblivious to the sparks of madness that there brightening up his eyes. 

According to the article on wikipedia, it was impossible to mess up a breakfast (Roman would call it “mispreparing”, not “messing up”). Sure, for the past 2 years it was Virgil who was in charge of cooking, ever since he caught Roman trying to fry an egg in a toaster, but it was in the past and Roman learnt a lot since then. 

For example - he knew that he certainly needed a pan.

“Now is it a saucepan or frying pan…” he hummed happily, going through the content of the cupboards. “Is there even a difference…? It’s probably some american english and-or british english bullshit again,” Roman pondered, being completely wrong.

Finally he pulled out something that looked almost flat. He was pretty sure that the love of his life was usually using this silver shield to make his scrambled eggs. 

“Fantastic.” Roman praised himself, nodding to the pan. “The recipe suggests using one egg and butter. I assume that they don’t mean one whole butter…Hmm... ‘If you want to you can add a tomato but remember to’... Well, that seems a little bit over the top even for me.”

Carefully, not to burn himself, Roman put a spoon of butter on the pan. He stared at it for a moment, wondering vaguely why it hasn’t started melting yet. Then he turned on the burner. Pleased with the result (butter started melting!), he also turned on the oven just in case. He glanced at the clock. It was almost 7am.

“Great masterpieces take time.” he said out loud, hoping that the microwave agree. It didn’t but that was probably only because microwaves don’t talk. “It’s time for gran finale!”

Roman gently put the egg on his hand.

“You better not mess it up, mistress.” he mumbled to the egg, slowly raising the knife. He didn’t want his victim to see it coming. 

“I promise to make it quick.” he promised under his breath, before swiftly hitting the eggshell with a knife. It felt empowering, he could now understand why Virgil liked cooking so much. “And now… onto the pan…” 

One could think that there was no way someone would make a mistake at this point. But people are fools after all and some of them clearly haven’t heard of Roman. 

Step 1: Crack an egg.

Step 2: Try to put it onto the pan.

Step 3: Fail and miss the pan.

Step 4: Watch an egg hit the counter and then watch it slide on the floor.

Step 5: Remain in this position, asking why the world hates you.

If a look could cook, this egg would be fried to the bones with the way Roman stared at it. And if there was one thing he was proud of, it was the fact that there were no eggshells in this particular egg that was chilling on the floor. It however did mix with the flour that was there before.

Someone snickered and Roman turned around, almost losing his balance.

Sure enough, his boyfriend, Virgil - in his full morning glory, was standing in the door of the kitchen. He was also desperately trying to stop himself from laughing. His feet were bare and covered with white dust. He must have been standing there for a while now.

“H-hi, Virgil my dearest,” Roman stuttered, trying to ignore the crackling sound behind him. “I thought you are still asleep…”

“I woke up when I heard the fire alarm. It’s pretty loud,” explained Virgil, sporting the you-are-a-dumbass smile.

“Ah, haha. Well, it is pretty loud, isn’t it?” Roman scratched the back of his head, shooting the but-I-am-your-dumbass smile.

Virgil inhaled deeply, trying hard not to wrinkle his nose, “So… are you going to turn off that burner, Ro? Because I’d prefer not to eat the burnt butter from this wok?”

“Wo-who?” repeated Roman, his eyes widening.

“A wok. Also known as a wok pan.” explained Virgil, leaning against the counter to grab some towels, “A pan suited for Asian cuisine,” he added smirking.

“...”

“Go ahead, you can ask, Roman” beamed Virgil. He looked incredibly pleased with himself.

Roman sighed. God damn Virgil and his angelic-verging-on-mischievous smile.

“You don’t make scrambled eggs on a wok pan, do you?” he asked, knowing already what the answer was.

“Nope,” Virgil grinned and quickly pecked Roman’s lips, “But I do appreciate you trying, Ro. Although… maybe next time try to write a poem about breakfast instead of making one, what do you think?”

“But where would be romance in that?” groaned Roman softly, fixing his eyes on Virgil’s feet. He had a strange feeling of deja vu. 

Lean, slim fingers gripped on Roman’s chin, forcing him to look up.

Roman always thought that Virgil had the most beautiful eyes on earth.

“What do you mean by ‘where’s the romance’?” Virgil tilted his head cutely, “‘Roman’ is right in front of me and the ‘ce’ part is simply overrated.” he smiled, making it impossible for Roman not to lean closer and close the gap between their lips.

“Happy anniversary, Virgil.” he mumbled into a kiss, feeling the curl of Virgil’s lips against his own.

“Happy anniv, Ro.”

The end.

General taglist:

@depressed-alone​​ ​ @changeling-ash​​ @dear-lover-dearest​ @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2​​ @calmingthoughtsinyourhead​ @zo-geeky​​ @fandomfreak-19​​ @thegnatnat​​ @inha-led​​ @tree4life25​​ @panic-at-theeverywhere​​ @reallyanextrovertipromise  @shit-happens-bitchachos@pastel-patton123​​ @pinkeasteregg​​ @greymane902​​ @princeyssash​​ @ilovemyspoopydad​​ @musicphanpie-b​​ @all-these-trees-stealing-mah-o2 @birosezz​ @winged-outlaw @anxious-fander-talian-bean​ @lizaelsparrow @moonstonefox12 @pastelnerd101  somecrappyclonemysticalstrawberryface @ninjago2020​  donteatmyassghostie toriwithacamera moxiety–sanders101 confinesofpersonalknowledge xxladystarlightxx wheeitsvee a-very-optimistic-realist narniasfinestavengingsociopath  thequeensqueer allycat31415 rileys-main-blog-spotroman-is-a-dramatic-prince virgil-my-diamond justanotherproblem faacethefacts  beautifully-terribly logical-but-anxious queen-of-all-things-snuggly seabellart   @generalfandomfabulousness lostin—translation  knine-nights  @poisonedapples @talhaddelpla @punk-and-flowers @quietlypondering @milomeepit 0joodles0  grape-soda-city-kid sanders-sides-stuff lonelysoul43 imtooaromaticforthis @xxxbladeangelxxx

[luckywilliams]

APPRECIATING PAINTINGS

Paintings can be complex things to appreciate in an informed fashion. Such informed appreciation can be undertaken via a number of different methods:

Firstly, the artistic methods and techniques undertaken can be examined. Thus, Jan Van Eyck was famous for his oil painting technique, which produced a characteristic luminous finish. Michelangelo was renowned for his fresco technique, and for his skill with anatomy and male nudes. Leonardo da Vinci was famous for his sfumato, and Rembrandt for his chiaroscuro. Titian and Matisse (amongst others) were distinguished by their colourism, Caravaggio for his Tenebrism, and Frank Auerbach for his impasto. These techniques, and many others, are an important feature of informed art appreciation.

Secondly, COLOUR has always been a very important aspect to consider, and often, throughout history, the use of colour has been subject to certain rules and conventions. For example, Ancient Egyptian paintings only made use of 6 colours – red, green, blue, yellow, white and black. Red was the colour of power and authority. Green was used as a colour to indicate new life and fertility. Blue was the colour of rebirth, while yellow was used to represent eternal things like the sun, and gold. White was indicative of purity, and black was the colour of death. As an extension of some of these principles, male bodies were painted in darker colours than female bodies.

Byzantine icon paintings followed similar conventions: Blue was the colour representing human life, while white became the colour used to represent the resurrection and transfiguration of Christ. In icons of Christ and the Virgin Mary, Christ was usually depicted wearing a red undergarment, together with a blue outer garment (symbolising the idea of God becoming a man). Conversely, Mary was usually depicted wearing a blue undergarment, and a red outer garment (indicative of someone starting off entirely human and mortal, but moving closer to God).

During the Renaissance, burgeoning European art academies restricted the use of bright colours, which were only to be used in the most appropriate contexts. It is only much later in European history, with the advent of the French Impressionists and the Fauvists, that colour really became utilised independently, and without restriction. Of course, the development of new colour pigments also had a significant impact on the tonal range available to painters. – After all, a Renaissance colour palette was a very different thing to the palette available to a 19th century artist.

The narrative content of a painting (How to appreciate it).

In order to make an informed judgement, we can subdivide the narrative content of a painting into 4 parts: a) The main message. b) Subsidiary messages. c) Symbolism. d) References and analogies. (At the end of this section, under Activities, you will be given the opportunity of carrying out some research, and completing an initial assessment of the narrative content of a famous Renaissance painting, using these 4 subheadings).

Interpreting Western art (c.500 – 1700).

Byzantine art, and its icons, together with other hieratic styles such as the Gothic, was packed with narrative meaning and symbolism – but all of a Christian kind. This exclusive focus on Christian symbolism makes the art somewhat easier to decode, though the fantastic imagery of Renaissance alterpiece art of the sort produced by Bosch and Pieter Brueghel the Elder can be more difficult to work out. Much baroque painting was more straightforward, as (during the era of the Counter Reformation) its focus was mostly just on the promotion of Catholicism. Its best works consisted of trompe l’oeil ceiling frescoes and other monumental religious works. Even here, there were some exceptions, such as the Realist School within Dutch Baroque art, which possessed much complex imagery and symbolism.

Dutch Realism 1630-90.

Some exceptional schools arose in the newly independent (from Spain) protestant areas of the United Provinces, such as those in Amsterdam, Delft, Utrecht and Haarlem. Dutch realism really developed as a result of the historical context. – The 17th century was the period of the Dutch ‘Golden Age’ in which trade grew with the East Indies, and other areas of the world, and Dutch merchants grew rich on the profits. These merchants were a new type of art buyer, requiring a new type of painting, and they commissioned some of the most complex still life paintings ever produced, by the likes of Vermeer, Rembrandt, Willem Kalf, van Hoogstraten and others.

The Decline of Religious Paintings from 1700.

Religious art declined elsewhere (not just in the United Provinces) because of the decline in the number of ecclesiastical patrons available, and the rise of the secular, middle class/professional patron, who wanted – and paid for – small scale portable paintings which could be displayed in their homes. Moreover, these new buyers wanted portraits, landscapes or genre paintings (rather than massive religious allegorical works) which showed off their newly acquired power and status. As a consequence, this ‘new’ type of painting lacked obscure religious symbolism, and can be easier to interpret.

Interpreting paintings from 1700 onwards.

For analytical purposes, these can be divided into 5 main types: i) HISTORY paintings ii) PORTRAITS iii) GENRE paintings (of everyday scenes) iv) LANDSCAPES v) STILL LIFE.

History Paintings:

This category of paintings can include mythological, religious and historical works with a ‘narrative’ which can be difficult to interpret when designed to convey inspirational or philosophical sentiments.

Portraits:

This category of painting is generally easier to interpret, though it must be remembered that the buyer of a painting often prefers to purchase a ‘manipulated’ image showing him/her at their best (e.g. Sir Thomas Lawrence’s portraits of the Prince Regent during the Regency period).

Genre:

These can be relatively straightforward to interpret, when the artist is focused, principally, upon portraying the social history of a particular scene. However, a genre painting can also be used to convey a philosophical message, making the interpretation more complex to determine.

Landscapes:

In the hundred years between 1700-1800, many landscape paintings were commissioned by landowners who wanted a pictorial record of their estates. Thus, such paintings can be relatively straightforward to understand and interpret. However, in the later 18th Century, as the Romantic movement began to take hold, many painters went into the countryside in order to ‘capture’ the essence and beauty of nature – adding considerably to the meaning and purpose behind such works. Impressionists like Pisarro and Monet can fall into this category. There are also landscapes with more of a philosophical message, which can be quite difficult to interpret fully.

Still Life:

Some of this type of painting can look very static when looked at in a superficial manner. Nevertheless, the best of Still Life painting can still be loaded with symbolism, and influenced by artistic traditions going back to at least the 17th Century.

How to appreciate abstract paintings.

The key principal behind a proper appreciation of abstract paintings is the realization that FORM is just as important as REPRESENTATION. Thus, a picture of a human face could be a very anatomically inaccurate, ‘bad’ one, but it could have a very effective and striking use of colours or shapes, and might therefore be adjudged to be a ‘beautiful’ picture/painting.

Thus, form is everything, and we need to look at colours, shapes and surface textures (and their relationship to each other) when assessing and interpreting a particular piece of work.

 ACTIVITIES

 Now that you have completed this introductory section, please have a go at the following activities. You can either talk to your tutor about the possible answers on the telephone, or via skype, or send written responses via email or post. Please enjoy thinking about your answers, and the initial research that this entails!

Task 1: Try and find out more about the artistic techniques of sfumato, chiaroscuro, colourism, Tenebrism and impasto. What did these techniques/skills actually involve?

Task 2: Try and have a look at the painting “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Hieronymous Bosch (1500-05) either on-line or in a suitable textbook, which is one of the great Renaissance paintings. Once you have looked at a copy of the painting, and maybe read a little about it, try and complete a brief assessment of the painting’s narrative content, using the 4 subheadings described earlier in this Section.

Task 3: Using the information supplied above about the 5 main types of paintings produced from 1700 onwards, say whether you think the following 11 paintings are either history, portrait, genre, landscapes or still life works of art: Some are more straightforward than others!

Death of Marat (1793) by Jacques-Louis David.

The Third of May 1808 by Francisco Goya

The Morning of the Execution of the Streltsy (1881) by Vasily Surikov.

Arrangement in Grey and Black: Whistler’s Mother (1871) by James Whistler.

Portrait of Madame X (1883-4) by John Singer Sargent.

Man with a Hoe (1862) by Millet.

Marilyn (1967) by A. Warhol.

At the Moulin Rouge (1890) by Toulouse-Lautrec.

Ennui (1914) by Walter Sickert.

Mr and Mrs Andrews (1750) by T. Gainsborough.

Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps (1812) by JMW Turner

  Adrian L. Bridge

[lovely-otome]

A World With(out) You - Kotaro Kamiyama Walkthrough

A World With(out) You is an Otome game made by Voltage inc. housed on their Love 365 app. Rather than using coins to read the story, A World With(out) You is a Love Choice story. This means that instead of using coins, you use hearts to make certain choices and to get cgs. Hearts are earned by either A) reading Season 1 main stories of any character on the Love 365 app, B) getting hearts via the daily login bonus, or C) buying hearts using coins.

While Love Choice stories are technically “free”, to get any meaningful progression in the story, you need to use hearts. At a minimum, to get the Super Happy Ending in A World With(out) You, you need to have 12 affection points. This walkthrough will not only identify all the choices that will require you to use hearts through out the game, it will also show how many hearts each choice costs as well as how much affection they earn you.

Posible Choices:

Ch 1

Hearts: 5 - Affection: none

Ch 3

Hearts: 7 - Affection: +1

Ch 5

You do get a CG in this chapter, but the CG is free and NOT connected to any Love Choices.

Hearts: 8 - Affection: +1 or Hearts: 5 - Affection: +1

Ch 8

Hearts: 6 - Affection: +1

Ch 11

Hearts: 18 - Affection: +3 & cg

Ch 13

Hearts: 4 - Affection: +1

Ch 14

Hearts: 3 - Affection: +1

Ch 15

Hearts: 12 - Affection: +2 or

Hearts: 7 - Affection: +1

Ch 16

Hearts: 15 - Affection: +2 (you may be prompted a second time to choose this if you hit the free choice)

Ch 18

Hearts: 15 - Affection: +3

Ch 20

Hearts: 15 - Affection: +3

Ch 22

Hearts: 20 - Affection: +3 & cg  (you may be prompted a second time to choose this if you hit the free choice)

Ch 24

Hearts: 10 - Affection: +2

Ch 25

Hearts: 20 - Affection: +3

Ch 26

Need total of 12 affection for SHE

If you do not meet the affection criteria for the SHE you can fill the Love Meter for 40 hearts.

If you achieve Kotaro’s SHE before April 21st you can actually earn Kotaro’s Collector’s Edition! Please note that unlike previous Collector’s Edition campaigns (i.e. Masquerade Kiss campaigns) there does not seem to be a CG purchase requirement.

Listed is the best/most affordable way to reach that goal.

“Affordable” CG’s + storyline Walkthrough

Ch 5

You do get a CG in this chapter, but the CG is free and NOT connected to any Love Choices.

Hearts: 5 - Affection: +1

Ch 8

Hearts: 6 - Affection: +1

Ch 11

Hearts: 18 - Affection: +3 & cg

Ch 13

Hearts: 4 - Affection: +1

Ch 14

Hearts: 3 - Affection: +1

Ch 22

Hearts: 20 - Affection: +3 & cg  (you may be prompted a second time to choose this if you hit the free choice)

Ch 24

Hearts: 10 - Affection: +2

Hearts: 66

Affection: 12

Please note that while I consider this the best/ most affordable to reach the SHE/get all the cgs, this is not the only way to do so. Technically, you could just pay 40 hearts to unlock the SHE without choosing any of the affection choices but be warned that if you want to see the rest of the cgs/choices, you will still have to pay for them later.

Why get the Collector’s Edition

As for why you would want to get the Collector’s Edition, the Collector’s Edition allows you to read the story whenever you want without having to wait for the next chapter to be available. Please note that the only answers that unlock in the Collector’s Edition are the answers that you unlock in your initial gameplay. After you earn the Collector’s Edition, you will be able to read your unlocked answers whenever you like but the answers you didn’t unlock you will still need to purchase.

If by chance you do earn the Collector’s Edition and would like to read the rest of the locked scenarios, you are able to buy them inside the Collector’s Edition. Please note however that they must be bought within the Collector’s Edition. If you purchase a scenario in the normal Love Choice version of the route after you have recieved the Collector’s Edition, the answer will be unlocked only in the normal Love Choice route and not in the Collector’s Edition.

Final Thoughts

Personally, I will NOT be putting my money towards A World With(out) You.

I was actually looking forward to A World With(out) You. However, once I realised it would be a Love Choice game, I quickly lost interest. Currently, voltage has two Love Choice titles: Masquerade Kiss and A World With(out) You. While Love Choice is marketed as free, to get any meaningful gameplay out of it, you will need to spend some money. This can quickly add up, as ten hearts cost a dollar, and many of the choices in Love Choice games exceed ten hearts. Some of the CGs by themselves cost close to the same amount of money you would spend on a main route of a non-Love Choice game. And since I just spent my money on Kei Soeijima’s route, I can’t afford to put money towards this title. Additionaly, the art doesn’t nearly interest me as much as Masquerade Kiss. If you are interested in Voltage’s Love Choice titles, I would be discerning regarding what routes you choose to spend money on.

If you are wondering how I’m able to make these walkthroughs without reading the story, I utilize the skip function on the app to get to the next chapter/decisions.

Hopefully this post/walkthrough will help players get the most they want out of the game without having to spend a ton of money on it! If you guys have any questions, find a mistake in my walkthrough, or can calculate an even better cost-effective way to play this game please let me know!

Also, this took a looooong time to type/create so please do not claim my walkthrough as your own.

Thank you for reading!

[quietdaysco]

The Process: Research

Ever wanted to make something, but didn’t know where to start? We too. In this second installment of The Process, we’ve finished forming our idea and now it’s time to inform it. 

2. Research 

Mind you, this isn’t a “step two” per se. Here’s the big kicker on what we soon discovered about this part of development:

Research is an active, ongoing process, whose goals change throughout pre- to post-production.

We may have created the idea of Primrose Path but our research didn’t stop at the end of pre-production, as if to say we’ve got everything we need and now it’s time to dive into making it. During production, we still had questions. Research is the only reason that, if you stopped us on the side of the street, the topics of future biomaterials and methods, dynamic UI design, and historic architectural eras could all pop up in the same conversation.  

And all of that is valuable information to us, because researching is relevant in every area of the process! But what kind of information did we look for? 

Our five categories are Community Canvassing, Story & Character Development, Team Management, Game Design, and Marketing. 

Let’s break it down:

A. Community Canvassing

Identifying and learning our target audience.

Identify personal wants from our game.

We have to stop and think: what kind of game do we want to play? If you want something, chances are, there’s a group of people out there who want the same thing. They are our audience.

Identify the type of media and genres relevant to our game.

Our video game is a visual novel, and its market genres are predominantly adult, drama, and romance. Because the medium of visual novels originated and is popular in Japan, we use the term otome (Japanese for “maiden” or “girl”) or otoge (portmanteau of “otome” and “game”) in our genre list. So, our game is an adult, drama, romance, otome—or focused on a female main character who deals with a cast of potential male partners.

Case any census data and statistics on target and related communities’ research blogs.

This one was important to us because we like considering quantifiable data that gives us the bigger picture. Statistics blogs and databases helped us get a clearer view of different demographic subsets of the visual novel community. It’s also important that we read material about sister media like the general interactive fiction community, as both deal with reader input and resultant story-branching.

Inquire fans in those genres for game recommendations and any opinions.

Community hubs are a click away. We connected with others via forums like Reddit and instant messenger servers like Discord that specifically revolve around fans and game developers of the visual novel medium.

Read game reviews in those genres by other fans and critics.

The most interesting thing for us when we read these reviews is not so much what someone did or didn’t like, but what aspects of the game they focused on, and what other topics they decided to connect to their original answer. You may be surprised how people decide to expand on their answer and where tangents lead, which is very telling, valuable associations.

Connect with other developers for support and networking.

The Western visual novel community is a small community, but commercial success is not confined to said community. Building a rapport with other hardworking devs is important, as it follows us in such a small space—for better or worse. There’s a lot to learn from the wider indie development community, too.

B. Story & Character Development

Creating an organic experience.

Real-world parallels to inspire for or reference in game direction.

Whether we take a trip to the city with a camera and sketchbook, rent and buy books from libraries and bookstores, or visit Google Maps in satellite view, we are pulling up everything we need to inform our game’s locations, people, and events.

Observe and converse with people.

The behaviors, quirks, appearances, opinions, and feelings of people are abundant, and it’s not until we observe and sometimes familiarize ourselves with others that we catch some of the concerted expressions that create a nuanced individual. 

Interacting with others is first-hand experience, and listening to or reading others’ experiences is second-hand. If we can't write from first or second-hand experience, we must inform ourselves with other sources, as it’s crucial in writing characters with whom we may not directly or easily identify. We often defer to interviews and documentaries to start.

Psychology and sociology research.

Sometimes reading from experts about general trends and triggers of the human condition makes it easier for us to understand, verify, and better portray things like addictions, behavioral disorders and mental illnesses, fetishes, and cultural stigmas for our character development and world-building. Though this isn’t limited to negative or abnormal things we cannot identify. It can also be in what ways the values of a person or society evolve, or how players interact with video game avatars!

Read and deconstruct critically-acclaimed novels in our genres

It’s understood that if people want to become better writers, they have to become better readers. Being able to settle down with some traditionally-published, well-received books relevant to our interests will help us build on our knowledge of suitable writing conventions, as well as analyzing broader narrative elements, like plot pacing. We even have a list of writing resources saved to help us break it all down!

C. Team Management

Standardizing ways to increase workflow efficiency.

Pipeline development.

Know a general end-date to keep in mind for the finished product. Setting a scope for our project and a timeline for production challenges us to keep on task as we work towards that date. We’ve set ours up by month and refer to that document for phase estimation.

Time management, task delegation, task tracking, and work logs.

Whether your team is me, myself, and I, or made of employees and contractors, it’s important to stay synchronized and keep record of that progress. Quiet Days has our own GitScrum board to help us with assigning tasks, timing how long a task takes us versus the amount of time we expected it to take, and streamlining the process from start to finish. It also keeps track of percentage of overall project completion and key performance indicators (KIP), or the metrics of a user’s personal contribution and work ethic over a period of time. There are a plethora of other task management sites and apps available to use too.

Style guides to standardize writing and art.

Between the two of us at Quiet Days, we both work on the 2D art and writing, and we both default to different visual and writing styles. So, we’ve set up and continue to add to our respective guides, keeping the art style and narration and character portrayals consistent. This is especially helpful should we take up other artists or writers, so that they can easily assimilate into our workflow. 

Account delegation for social media and company correspondence.

Understanding who does what for cohesion under a company brand is important for its image. We share all accounts under the company name, so technically both of us have access, which works well for our team of two. It’s early, but so far “delegation” seems to have taken on a natural division between Coda and Elm—the former taking to micro-blogging, and the latter to streaming and forum correspondence. While this dynamic may change in the future, we both refer back to each other under the Quiet Days brand.

Potential for contracting help.

We’ve considered that there may be a time in production where a helping hand is needed. Additional considerations like the freelancing market and pricing are kept in mind for the future. 

D. Game design 

Scrutinizing game elements from a developer’s lens.

Consider for which platform to design.

PC? Mobile? Console? Cross-platform? While we are primarily designing our game to be played on PC, should we want to capitalize on popular handheld consoles like the Nintendo Switch, for example, things like game engines and builds, game optimization, resolution, encryption, touch capabilities, and content guidelines for their private company platform all need to be considered. These things change between platforms.

Consider designing globally.

There are people different from us who would like to enjoy our game too. We consider the user experience (UX) for things like the possibility of game translations and using fonts types that read well for different language characters like Chinese or Russian. We also consider how to customize the experience to accommodate for players with different cognitive abilities, which falls under accessibility features.

Play what’s commercially un/successful and community-recommended.

We can learn a lot from both good and bad game design, and what the community mostly consumes. We engage with these games and take notes on graphics, accessibility features, user interface (UI) designs, game mechanics, soundtracks, and overall presentation and aesthetic. What did we like and what would we have preferred?

Stay updated on game design development tips from industry heads

There are people who have been doing it much longer than we have, and a number of them are setting industry standards. We can learn a thing or two in how they handle a problem and find solutions.

E. Marketing 

Methods for optimizing outreach and return of investment.

Social media strategies for engaging and involving our audience.

We’ve laid the groundwork for character accounts on social media to launch as a way for our audience to interact with characters from our game. While role-playing is a fun marketing and meta world-building device, we’re exploring other cool avenues like exploitable images and audience challenges to drum up future participation. 

Types of advertising and promotional materials.

There may come a time when word-of-mouth may not be enough. Would we consider purchasing ad space on different sites for greater visibility, or spend money on “promoting” features on social media? Would we commission or create and sell promotional merchandising for our audience?

Crowdfunding platforms and prospects.

Popular ones like Patreon, Kickstarter, and Indiegogo all have their draws and their drawbacks for creators and supporters alike. For what expenses would we crowdfund? What additional rewards would we provide for the financial support, if any? Do we want financial support for our project, or continual financial support as a company creating content? Some developers don’t actually use these platforms to request funding, but as another way of advertising their game. Would we do that?

Cross-exposure with other devs.

Interviews, public events, and collaborations with other game developers is a win-win situation with everyone involved. We want to be able to not just network, but allow each other to introduce our products and skills to a greater audience, creating and sharing a unique, dedicated fanbase in the overlap.

The Takeaway

At the time of this post, we’re still in the production phase, so some of this information isn’t applicable right now, but no knowledge is wasted: these things will always be handy to know and consider for later. We’re making our decisions in lieu of—and even despite some of—our research, in order to create a game that we’ll love and hope others will too. It’s important that as a game developer, you too keep yourself informed!

Speaking of ongoing research, Western otome is a largely indie market with many small, tenacious teams and hardly any corporate studios. If you are a Western otome developer, please contact us! We’d love to interview you in a Q&A, get your input on your process, and feature your story on our blog! 

[daggerzine]

Tony Potts of The Monochrome Set gives us the details! (interview by Steve Michener)

I started writing a weekly post on Facebook about two years ago, wherein I would pick a song from the extensive catalog of The Monochrome Set and write a few words, trying to hep people to their fantastic music. It became a fun, online conversation with friends and fans and the band would sometimes join in, adding to the story or correcting my (frequent) historical errors.  I was presenting myself as a TMS scholar when I was really just a doofus with a love for the music. The FB feature eventually led to my volunteering to drive the band on the West Coast swing of their recent US tour, which was a total blast. 

 Recently, I came up with the idea of interviewing various members of the band and when I initially hit upon this plan, the first person I thought of was Tony Potts, their early ‘5th member.'  Tony added another dimension to the band’s early shows by projecting films onto screens (and sometimes the band), helping to differentiate the band in the crowded post-punk music scene of the late 70s/early 80s England. I never personally saw any early TMS shows so I missed out on his contributions until last year when  I attended the TMS 40th anniversary shows in London and got to experience his visuals along with the music (albeit from a laptop now instead of a Super 8 film). I’ve always been intrigued by his role with the group and he was nice enough to answer some of my email questions about the early days of the band, his art, and, of course, his favorite TMS song. Tony’s Facebook page is one of the most entertaining around; he doesn’t hold back much, whether it’s about his cancer diagnosis, politics, or the state of the Great Western Railroad. TMSF and now Dagger Zine present the Weird, Wild and Wonderful World of Tony Potts!

That’s Tony far right  

 Q: How did you come to be involved with the Monochrome Set? What drew you to them and them to you?

 Ah, now there are two answers to this question. The first is terse and accurate, although less interesting than the second. Well, I knew John, J.D. Haney. That's the terse answer. However, in the interests of interest, and name-dropping, we have to travel back to about 1974. The story illustrates I think, how our lives are built upon great swaths of happenstance.

While studying on my pre-degree arts foundation I became close friends with Edwin, later Savage Pencil, who later still formed The Art Attacks. After some itinerant drummers, including Ricky Slaughter of The Motors, and Robert Gotobed of Wire, JD became the Art Attacks drummer. Now, Edwin didn't know him, so I can only guess, at this great distance, that I put his name forward. But again, we must spool back in time. How did I know John? After Edwin left for London, and still at my provincial art school, I became good friends with two fellow student artists like myself, Andy Palmer and Joy Haney. They both became founder members of Crass, under the names N A Palmer and Joy De Vivre, and are now exceptionally good fine artists.

It was through my friendship with Joy that I meet her brother, the aforementioned JD, when he came down from university in the summer of '76. We hung out with his college chum, Jean-Marie Carroll, later to join The Members, and discussed narrow neckties and casual trousers. Then Joy, Andy, and I went off to the Greek islands for the summer, before returning to London to take up our degree course at Chelsea School of Art.

Thus it was, with us all now in London, that I believe I introduced JD to The Art Attacks, with whom I worked until their demise, at which point JD took up with TMS. Due to mutual creative interests in art, I was invited to display my films at their gigs. That was late '78, with my first gig with the band being at Acklam Hall, Notting Hill, on 22nd February 1979. Thereafter we fell together and I started to make films specifically for the live shows. It’s worth pointing out that the TMS was not formed in an art school, or by art students. It is lazy journalism that perpetuates the Art School band epithet. Both Bid, the main song writing power behind the longevity of the band, and the other key lyricist, JD Haney, have never been anywhere near an art school.

 Q: What were your films like? Who were your art-school influences at the time? What were you doing with the Art Attacks?

 I was studying fine art painting, and painting was my main interest. Although I loved films, I never expected to move in that direction. As a painter, I was a devotee of the Russian Constructivists like Tatlin, but mostly the geometric forms of El Lissitzky, and the Suprematist Kazimir Malevich - best known for Black Square and White On White. My paintings were an amalgam of geometric forms in the vein of Lissitzky on grounds inspired by Malevich's painterly surfaces. With the rise of the Punk movement in London, I somewhat changed direction, moving into filmmaking that had a quasi-narrative style, intended to be more emotional and poetic. Although driven by what was happening in music during ‘76/'77/'78, ironically, my films couldn't be any less punk if I tried. Well, not to punks anyway. These days I regret that I never resuscitated my painting practice.

At the time of the Acklam Hall gig, I had made one large scale Super8, and two 16mm works. I think it must have been 'Strange Meeting', which in part was about aliens and The Red Army Faction murders, which we showed at that gig, but as a support. I had previously made some other 8mm films, and I might have used them during the band, but I can't recall. However, I now have vague memories of projecting B & W film over the whole stage and band. With The Art Attacks, I didn't have a creative role, I just supported the band in rehearsal and at gigs with Paul Humphries their manager, and the initial manager of TMS. Paul, JD and I all shared the same squat in Brailsford Road, Brixton. So, with TMS I had something more creative to do.

 Q: For those of us who weren't able to see those shows, describe for us what you were doing with the films during the shows. How were the films received by the audience?

 As I said, initially I used the films that I had made in another context, and they were added to the performance to create an overall ambiance, a statement of presentation that was not about a band energetically leaping about on stage, as was the order of the day. Soon I started to make Super8 material specifically for TMS performances. This included the scratched and bleached footage for 'Lester Leaps In', or images filmed on the road, like the Berlin footage used for ‘Viva Death Row’, or staged material of the band getting up to also sorts of antics, like the beach ball larks and bits of animations I would make with no specific aim. In the early days, I made two roller blind screens in long boxes, [we took them on the first two US tours] with one on either side of the stage as space allowed, with film projected onto them so the band members were often in silhouette, although it bled onto them also. The stage was very dark, lit by blue footlights, which I made. I think Mark Perry of Sniffing Glue/Alternative TV said something like it was the most brilliantly depressing thing he had seen. That was always the irony at that time, the music was pert and poppy and uplifting, but the show wasn't. What a laugh, we all thought.

 The shows became increasingly more elaborate with more screens, more projectors and a theatrical lighting rig. At this time we were using Ground Control, Bowie's original PA, run by a lovely guy called Robin Mayhew. Using the theatre lights allowed me to focus and shape controlled beams of light exactly where I wanted them. For example, I could just illuminate Bid's face or other small areas with geometric shapes, while leaving the stage largely unlit. Then the film screens could glow and flicker in the dark. The lads tended not to move a great deal. A tradition assiduously upheld by Mr. Warren.

 As to reception, well some people liked it, and others couldn't see the point. I think it mostly worked as a spectacle, an integrated whole, a total experience, but for those just into the music, it was probably irrelevant. I mean, they are a great band, so nobody missed me when I didn't set up, like at the M80. That stage was toooo big, man.

Bid and Tony 

 Q; As the 'Fifth Member' whose focus seemed to have been on the live performances, how did you fit in with the band in the recording studio?

 Yes, my key role was the live performance; anything else was a bonus for me. I was at all recordings from the second Rough Trade single to the end of the second album, as an enthusiastic supporter and admirer. Of course, I chipped in with the odd suggestion or noise and was probably ignored where and when necessary. Being musically incompetent, my timing is off by a good margin so I'm not sure my handclaps ever made a final mix. You can hear me on TWWWWofTP. I've got quite a pleasant singing voice, also, just not in public. Bid once marked out the chord changes for Ici Les Enfants on a plastic organ I had, to fill out the live sound, but after the first chord change, I was lost and bewildered.

 Q: You've done promotional videos for the band. Can you talk about a few of those projects? Do you have a favorite video?

 The first promotional film I made was the one for Dindisc, and called Strange Boutique, not after the title of the first album as many think, but coincidentally, after the name of a pair of corduroy trousers! Actually, that may not be true. So, this was conceived as a short film, with two songs and a Rod Serling type piece to camera as a linking devise. Done on the very cheap. Unfortunately, there were syncing issues with some of the dialogue and the master got damaged, scratched, and I'm not sure if I still have the original film, or not. It's on our DVD as a complete piece as far as I remember, but it turns up on YouTube, usually cut down to either of the two songs LSD and Strange Boutique, without all the linking material.

We then waited a long time until I was commissioned by WEA to make the promo for 'Jacob's Ladder' with the release of 'The Lost Weekend' album. The deal was negotiated from a public phone box on Clapham Common tube station. It was somewhat compromised by cock-ups at WEA which meant I was forced to hand it over before it was fully edited to my satisfaction. I seem to have made a style out of technical imperfections; at least that's what I'm saying. At the time Top of the Pops had a video preview section, and a short clip of Jacob's Ladder was shown. That’s primetime TV, folks!

And then, of course, I was delighted when Bid asked me to make the official MaisieWorld video for ‘I Feel Fine’, which I was very pleased with. All these projects were very personal to me, not just the execution of a job, and the first two were part of my life at the time of making.

 Q. The only footage I've seen of you actually playing with the band is the Old Grey Whistle Test TV spot. Was it common for you to join the band onstage?

 Well, I was usually visible on stage, controlling the projectors, which needed constant manipulation, like a DJ scratching, changing speed and switching images, fading and mixing. Also, there might be some little set piece we had devised, which required me to do something. At one point, during the Ground Control days, I remember I had my own mic so I could interact with the stage, which didn't last that long. So, to some extent, I always had a relationship with the stage as both performer and technician. Once, when Lester Square had had enough, I did perform the encore, He's Frank, by incessantly plucking one string of his guitar. Pretty good, actually! Music and Maths very similar to my mind, no sooner do I believe that I have mastered the execution of some small calculation, but I soon discover that I haven't.

Don’t shake the ladder, Tony gettin’ down to work. 

Q: Tell us about your film education and your career in film and video outside the band.

 I made a living of sorts working commercially in film and video production, and teaching, but as I mentioned before, I actually trained in fine art. My art foundation took a very academic approach and involved copious hours of life drawing and other drawing classes, while being given time to develop one's own particular discipline and style.

I made one Super8 film based on geometric elements in my painting. I had made three other 8mm film before this. It wasn't until I was on my degree course that I started making more moving image work, but this stemmed from a fine art perspective, so I didn't ever have any film school type training. My own work I would categorise as poetic experimentalism, that is under the general umbrella of artist film and video. Just a reminder that you can catch up with lots more detail of everything I've said at my website, http://tonypottsloopform.altervista.org. Although it has all the history of the films and staging, as well as the making of Jacob's Ladder, it's rather old and not up-to-date. That site includes all the art projects I've worked on, the history of TMS film, and my own films. My creative life can be divided into three separate but overlapping strands. The first being, my personal practice as an artist/film maker, the second, my skills and knowledge deployed in the service of collective artworks and community arts projects, and those same skills employed commercially in film and video production and teaching.

 Q: It's obvious from FB that you are a big film fan. Who are some of your favorite directors/favorite movies?

 With a few exceptions, I'm not much interested in modern Hollywood, old Hollywood is better, and pre-Hays better still. My film tastes are somewhat esoteric for most folks. I prefer silent film, particularly that of the classic German period of the twenties, Lang, Murnau, Pabst, Dreyer. Then in the sixties, PP Pasolini, Robert Bresson, Akira Kurosawa, soviet era Tarkosky and Parajhanov, plus a host of even less well know eastern European directors like Miklos Jancso, Jan Nemec, or Frantisek Vlacil. Don't you wish you'd never asked?

 Q. You live in Wales, pretty far away from the London of your youth. How did you end up there and what appeals to you living there?

 Well, we split our time between London and Pembrokeshire at present, while my wife Rachael is still working. In a few years, we'll move out completely, I think. I can't relax in the city anymore. I need some more space to feel comfortable. I've had as much London as I can handle. Rachael is Welsh, although Pembrokeshire is known as little England beyond Wales, and we are fortunate to own her childhood home there.

 Q. You were recently diagnosed with cancer and posted your experience on Facebook. How did you discover that you had cancer and how are you doing now?

 Yes, that was unfortunate. The prostate gets larger as us men grow older and so puts a bit of pressure on the bladder, changing the way you take a pee, like urgency and frequency. So any chap of a certain age should cut along to a doctor if they have persistent symptoms of this type. Our neighbour in Wales insists on calling it prostrate cancer, but I refuse to take that lying down, and firmly pronounce it prostate, but to no avail. But seriously, although it's a slow-growing cancer, the sooner you act, the sooner you can get the appropriate treatment. I had to have surgery, but it's not necessary for everyone. As my cousin, who luck would have it is a cancer specialist said, do you want to be erect or dead? Haha, what a great choice!

 Q: Since this is a TMSF, after all, can you pick a favorite song and say a few words about it?

 My choice of song to end this pleasant excursion is 'The Devil Rides Out', from the 'Eligible Bachelors' album. By the time of recording this record JD had left the band and was living in NY, and I was also spending a great deal of time in that city also. I was still contributing to the occasional gig or short tour, but I certainly wasn't around when this album was recorded. Christ, what do you expect for a record made in Luton?

So it is the live performances of this song that I recall, since it was in the repertoire well ahead of it being recorded. Although I could say it of many other songs, the open chords of 'The Devil Rides Out' always gave me a buzz as I waited to play in whatever the film images were [I can't remember]. Even if the audience or critics found the films superfluous or unimportant, I usually enjoyed watching the way that a set of otherwise unrelated images somehow meshed and synchronised with the music and gave the illusion of a premeditated vision. Of course, it was premeditated in as much as I knew what pieces of film would be used for a particular song, but beyond that, there was a lot of slack in the system. With the various parameters of the live installation, having to follow the cue of the band and the hand manipulating the projectors [no computers], there were great possibilities that the extemporisation would result in entirely unique sets of images and sound on each occasion.

Well, I should say something about why I like the song. It's one of a number of Bid's more esoteric lyrical compositions. He had previously pushed the Latin boat out with Adeste Fideles [not everyone's favourite song title to pronounce], and my spell checker isn't too keen on the words, either. In this case, the bridging line is rendered in Latin, but with the exception of the 'Hails', this is written in the ancient language of Sanskrit. Or at least that is my understanding and belief. Whatever the lyrical origins are, this is a classic TMS arrangement, altogether thrilling, incomprehensible and mysterious, yet totally pop, totally accessible and it dumps from a very great height those chart-topping household names who have followed in their wake.

And of course, I can never resist a song that features a sleigh bell, The Devil Rides Out and The Stooges 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' being the two finest examples.

http://tonypottsloopform.altervista.org

www.themonochromeset.co.uk 

www.tapeterecords.de

www.facebook.com/themonochromeset

[koushirouizumi]

Digimon Adventure(s) Taishiro(u) songfic/parody: REPEAT?_ + Koushiro’s Theory of HAPPINESS

Title: KOUSHIRO’S T h e o r y of HAPPINESS Fandom: Digimon Adventure(s) Character(s): Koushiro Izumi, Yoshie Izumi, Izumi Family (mentioned); hints of the Chosen Children (end & in endnotes) Pairing(s): Taichi Yagami x Koushirou Izumi [Taishiro(u)] (implied throughout) [especially Taishiro(u) in the fic, throughout] Parodied from: K@gerou//Project (w/slashes removed) lyrics mostly (C) Jin Notes: It’s something of an extended parody for my Taishiro ficverse REPEAT?_ Warnings: PLEASE read ANY AND ALL WARNINGS/NOTES for the ficverse first before reading this! This songfic of sorts minimally spoils at least up to the 3rd chapter of the story. However, this song parody/songfic of sorts could also be seen as something like an alternative “introduction”... ... ... (I’M. SORRY) [ you can also click the ‘read more’ and jump first to the end of the page + then scroll up a bit to see additional warning for this particular installment! ]

“    What I THOUGHT BACK on was, AGAIN, MY FAMILY ;    ” [ " This is YOUR HOME, so make yourself comfortable, KOUSHIRO ! " ]

THIS is the vocal version of the cover that inspired me! THIS is the piano arrangement cover version I was listening when editing this. If you pagebottom to the end of the post, a different piano cover with the Kage//pro video is linked as well (this second piano cover mentioned keeps the main lyric’s melody line in tact, though it is also a bit faster too.) here is a version actually sung by THE COMPOSER OF THE SERIES ( he may not be the best singer but it’s the creator of the series pls respect him ok HE TRIES ) (PLEASE READ THE WARNINGS ABOVE IT IF YOU WATCH HOWEVER)

[ AND, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO ... ]

ORIGINAL VIDEO/SONG LINK: HERE + at bottom of post

                    KOUSHIRO’S T h e o r y of HAPPINESS

What I THOUGHT BACK on was, AGAIN, MY FAMILY ; [ " This is YOUR HOME, so make yourself comfortable, Koushiro ! " ] In [a LITTLE PLACE] with [red?] [brick?] walls, He mutters to himself, as if making SECRET PLANS In the [ PURE BLACK EYES ] BROUGHT HERE Lies a past he has HIDDEN FROM       A D U L T S With [ embarrassment ? ] F E A R in HIS EYES, he [ mutters ] SAYS CRIES " I'M SCARED " [" I'm JUST A MONSTER ! "] So I TELL HIM, " DON’T BE ! " [" THAT’S NOT TRUE AT ALL !!! "] " RED is THE COLOR OF A H E R O, so there's no need to be afraid ! " [ " YELLOW is THE COLOR OF THE SUN'S RAYS, so YOU'LL DEFINITELY BE OKAY !..... " ] ..Wondering what he would find fun, I am ACTING the " M O T H E R " a g a i n " Hey, LOOK ! " [ HE ? ] [ I ?? ? ] wrapped [himself?] [ m y s e l f ] in [RED?] [antics]; [RED?] [YELLOW??] [scarf?] [C A P E?] " We're like SECRET AGENTS ! " DYED in [ MADDER RED? ] , we'll B E G I N , even if we're merely P L A Y I N G  H E R O E S " As long as we can manage just a little smile... " We will  BE    FAMILY    STILL      TODAY I PRAY for HAPPINESS in THE FUTURE AHEAD , so HOWEVER SAD it may be... " Now keep this A SECRET ! " The sun sets with us LAUGHING . ... The SPRING breeze blows, and the now-ADULT world Is i r r a t i o n a l l y bent, as if conspired to be The thick and faded tears of [loved ones?]   [ H I M ] Go UNNOTICED BY ALL, turning B L A C K Things had GONE CRAZY, but by the time I NOTICED, I could NOT TELL A N Y O N E " No, NO, I DON’T WANT TO BE DESTROYED ! " ... There CAME A WORLD where HAPPINESS ENDS . " [ RED c o l o r ], PLEASE. N O M O R E; DON’T BRING RUIN TO ANYONE ELSE’S F U T U R E . " I thought as I CRIED again, keeping it HIDDEN WITH A SMILE " ... IF    I    HAD [   T H A T  ... RED ?   ]    M Y S E L F  , could I S A V E S O M E O N E ‘ S F U T U R E ? " AWKWARD and SHAMEFUL , this is my L O N E L Y  P L A N ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... Now that I ‘ M G O N E , I WONDER IF                                         [    M Y  F A M I L Y    ] Are S T I L L G E T T I N G A L O N G , and SMILING TOGETHER ? I ‘ M S U R E they must be UPSET WITH ME --- But I W O N D E R  I F  I  H A V E  B E C O M E                                       ///      "   THEIR SON   "      ///

                                                    [ F A M I L Y ] ... N O W .

[ T A I C H I - S A N & MIMI-SAN ] Please try to    REMEMBER       THAT WORD      I   L O V E D;

                                    [ C H O S E N C H I L D R E N ] "   H A P P I N E S S   "   is    a       C U R I O U S          T H I N G  ,

                                               [ K O U S H I R O ] SO I HOPE Y O U    CAN    L O V E T    O    M    O    R    R    O    W       ... ... ... ... ... ... 

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...

REPEAT?_

_

_

_

NOTES:

- I’M SORRY - I HATE KAGE//PROS FOR DOING THIS TOO I’M SORRY - NO IT’S STILL NOT A DIRECT PARODY BUT EXTREMELY INSPIRED W/THIS ONE - if you can’t quite tell, the first verse began as Mrs./Yoshie Izumi before eventually switching to Koushiro’s POV in the second verse! - in the original video, by the second verse, Kagepro’s plot kicks in MUCH MORE IN GEAR aaand yeah STILL NOT A DIRECT PARODY - SO PLS DON’T THINK IT IS - STILL HEAVILY INSPIRED but yeah you can discount most of the second verse visual plot-wise - unless you really want to torture yourself with imagery of tiny sad!Koushiro crying alone LITERALLY WHY - DON’T WORRY THOUGH MR. IZUMI IS V. NOT INVOLVED LIKE THAT HERE - WHY IS KAGE//PROS LIKE THAT I STG

- the reason why the lyrics alternate between: [RED?] [YELLOW??] [scarf?] [C A P E?] -- is because this is more Kage//pros specific imageries and yeahh I don’t want the exact same thing for Koushiro visually in most of main REPEAT?_ BUT - MENTAL IMAGERY wise IT CAN STILL BE A THING - IN THE VARIOUS FORMS MENTIONED - BUT I WAS THINKING “CAPE” MORE BECAUSE OF A CERTAIN

^ WOW HI WHO ARE YOU H U H WOW THAT’S SOME. CAPE. CAPE - MAYBE KOUSHIRO COULD ALSO HOWEVER WRAP IT AROUND HIMSELF LIKE A SCARF - BUT V-TAMER TAICHI’S CAPE WAS YELLOW YEAH - AND I STILL DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT V-TAMER ITSELF - EXCEPT IT GETS VERY DRAMATIC TOO - BUT MAYBE KOUSHIRO IN SOME ‘VERSES COULD ALSO WRAP “IT” AS A SCARF FOR HIMSELF YEAH - ..... MAYBE EVEN A. BLACK(ISH-GREY). SCARF. - FOR REASONS - ... MAYBE IT CHANGES COLORS (IDEK)

- I’M SORRY AGAIN - FEELINGS HATE ME - however this one is kinda really hard to parody without arts skills myself besides amv making so ;; ;; probably won’t be able to make anything amv-wise for this kind of thing for a super long while.....

- STILL THOUGH I HAD TO GET THE FEELINGS OUT WHY THIS - MRS IZUMI MY LOVE YOSHIE-MAMA I LOVE YOU - KOUSHIRO VOICE YELLING ‘ I LOVE YOU ’ - I DEFINITELY DO NOT WANT YOSHIE TO BECOME AYANO THOUGH N O

- ...... she probably already kinda involved herself though in some parts - ....... i’m sorry - WARNINGS (+ FOR REPEATVERSE): - IMPLIED/ATTEMPTED (KEY WORD: ATTEMPTED) SELF-SACRIFICE/’DEATH’ (ESPECIALLY IN KAGE//PROS) - HOWEVER. This is. Well. See REPEAT?_ infos too and YEAH. - IT DOESN’T WORK OUT EXACTLY AS THEY PLANNED..... - I PROMISE IT GETS BETTER ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; (I ..... PROMISE)

WARNINGS FOR THE KAGE//PROS VIDEO: - IMPLICATIONS OF past child abuse (I’M SO SORRY FOR KAGE//PROS) [ this happens for a line spanning about 10 seconds ] - blonde haired boy Kano suffered from child abuse from a past family member. - black haired boy Seto suffers from being bullied as a child by various neighborhood kids - green haired/short haired girl Kido came from a very strict family / mainly her biological father. This ‘father’ was ... neglectful/emotionally abusive in ways (I’m so sorry for Kage//pros) he eventually ends up trying to kill her + her older sister + himself in a fire. She well. (Yeah. She survives. 7TH NOVEL SPOILERS) - the one visible though is actually not the father but more like a butler/maid from the same ‘house’ according to the author in old tweets. - there is nothing more said about that and hope to god it stays that way because. yeah. yeah - basically Kage//pros has MANY warnings re ‘deaths’ PLEASE TREAD VERY CAREFULLY AND ONLY IF YOU THINK YOU CAN HANDLE PLOT-RELATED DETAILS LIKE THAT - they are not actually ‘adopted’ by the way, technically it’s ‘fostered’ (confirmed via Japanese kanji in the original version). I don’t want to debate Kage//pros here though yeah, just mentioning that quickly since it’s important to not get confused with Kage//pros plot orz (many people will debate this though and I understand why but. yeah. technically it’s not official for many maaany plot reasons and yes the official English version definitely mistranslated it orz why this) (just saying: in Japan, when adopted, your surname has to legally change to your adopted family’s surname. The kids’ surnames do not change in Kage//pros canon and the implication is that thegirls’parents’bothdied beforeitcouldhappenyeah. This was pointed out by a Japanese translator so yeah...) [plus her doing what she does at the end kinda screws a lot up y e a h] - NO THIS PART DETAILED ABOVE RE: KAGE//PROS PLOT VERY MUCH DOES NOT RELATE TO THIS STORY GOD NO -  IZUMIS ARE THE GOOD ADOPTIVE PARENTS AND I’M KEEPING IT THAT WAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH - KOUSHIRO’S BIOLOGICAL PARENTS TOO - BUT YEAH THOSE WARNINGS ARE SPECIFIC TO KAGE//PROS THOUGH IF YOU WATCH THE VIDEO I’M SORRY - this is mainly in the first verse during the “brough here...” line - you can kinda cover your eyes at that part and just listen if you’d like though?? - in the second verse it’s heavily implied the girl’s own father is going mentally downhill (this is due to heavy plot spoiler reasons) - (this is a pretty initial spoiler but. his wife also dies - this is related via the second verse of the song, her photo is seen) - he basically ends up discovering plot things and - experiments ... on the girl singings’ classmates/friends ... uhhhh yeah (I’M SORRY FOR KAGE//PROS) - (IT’S NOT REALLY ‘HIM’ THOUGH.....) - this is why SHE’S TRYING TO STOP IT later on in the song - THIS ALSO VERY MUCH DOES NOT RELATE TO MY FICVERSE [BEING SERIOUS HERE]

^ an alternative piano version, albeit a bit faster!

^ this is the original video / song! (PLEASE TREAD WITH CAUTION) (BUT if you’re comfortable with such plot things) (THIS WORKS WELL FOR MAXIMUM FEELINGS) [ AND IT’S HONESTLY A GORGEOUS SONG/VIDEO ] [ AYANO’S A GORGEOUS CHARACTER TOO OK ]

[profoundnet]

Profound Member Post - October 2018

Header by @pantydean and is available on merch from her redbubble store. You can use all those fancy emojis(and more!) on our Discord Server!

The Masterpost is open for all creations by ProfoundBond members which are posted in entirety during that month.

MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS FOR OCTOBER 2018!

Masterpost below the cut.

Darmys - @darmysasagiri​ - Darmys

Not in Kansas Anymore

Summary: Sareno Dean Winchester answers to no one. Born to a powerful House on the storm wracked mining planet Kansas, he and his brother Sam have grown up strong and independent. The only person that holds their respect is the enigmatic Bobby Smith, Master of the martial arts academy where they train.

When alien bounty hunters kidnap Bobby, Dean throws away the life he knew and sets out—with Sam and Baby—to rescue his mentor, no matter how far they have to travel through known space.

Tags:  Alternate Universe - The Highroad Trilogy, Alternate Universe - Space Opera, Past Benny Lafitte/Dean Winchester, Past Dean Winchester/Nick Munroe, Robot!Baby, Canon-Typical Deaths, Canon-Typical Violence, Attempted Sexual Assault (Not Involving Our Main Characters), Period-Typical Racism, Dean/Cas Big Bang Challenge 2018

SFW

JessJesstheBest - @saywhatjessie​ - JessJesstheBest

Fucking Hollywood

Summary: 

“Okay…” he started, aware that the only way out of this conversation was through. “So I admit, I don’t know a whole lot about,” he gestured vaguely at Sam. “That. But me, personally, I have a hard time telling the difference between romantic and platonic love.” 

“So like aromanticism.” “No, what?” Dean glanced at Sam who was looking at him weirdly. “I don’t know. But one of the only ways I know how to confirm the difference is with sex.” Or the boys have a discussion about media theory and Dean learns a new word.

Tags: Fluff are!Dean, Bi!Dean (I mean obviously Dean is bi but he's actually explicitly aro in this so, Human AU, Sam's at Stanford, John is dead, Aromantic Dean Winchester, 

SFW

waywarded - waywarded

Discoveries

Summary: Dean and Cas are in a relationship and Dean is being too considerate for Cas's liking with making sure they don't take things too fast in the bedroom. Experimentation on what turns Castiel on ensues.

Tags: Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Romance, Fluff, Sexual Content, Castiel and Dean Winchester are Cute, Kissing, Making Out

NSFW

ultimatetrollcolinfirth - @ultimatetrollcolinfirth 

Destiel Art Round Up Oct 2018

Summary: A round up of my Destiel based creations, mostly for inktober. Tags: Destiel, Inktober 2018, 

Link to art piece #1, Link to art piece #2

SFW

ultimatetrollcolinfirth - @ultimatetrollcolinfirth - LeafZelindor

Dean’s Weakness

Summary: Profound Bot prompt Challenge

Dean just saw Cas getting out of the shower. Cas is Dean's win. Sam is likely a leviathan.

In which Creature Sam figures out some important information about Dean Winchester.

SFW

amandacanzo - amandacanzo

Sweet Surprise

Summary:  Dean is a great baker, but perhaps not the best communicator. When Dean had an embarrassing accident in his bakery (Sam’s fault), he left a lasting impression on Dr Castiel Novak, who had the pleasure of stitching up Dean’s asscheek.

When Cas comes to Dean’s bakery with Anna to order a wedding cake, Dean figures that Cas is getting married.

While Dean’s happy to have a new friend, it’s instantly clear to him he can’t keep his feelings in check. Especially when Cas is super affectionate and seems to be treating each hang out as a date.

On top of everything, Dean still has to make what he thinks is Cas’ wedding cake.

DCBB 2018

Tags: Baker Dean Winchester, Doctor Castiel, misunderstandings, angst with a happy ending, AU 

NSFW

Accompanying art by @abaddon-all-hope​

alessariel - alessariel

A Promise At Sunrise

Summary: “Dude, don’t look now, but there’s another guy wearing the same costume as you!” Charlie daintily sipped her drink while Dean nearly spat out his beer. What starts with a similar costume rapidly turns into the most amazing one-night stand Dean's ever had. Cas is funny, gorgeous, mysterious and really knows how to use his... wings. Among other things. Dean made Cas promise to stay the night and watch the sunrise with him, but he finds himself hoping that Cas will stay a lot longer than that.

Tags: Alternate Universe, Halloween, Creature Fic, Creature Castiel, Costumes, Smut, Fluff, A little bit of angst, just a tiny bit, Bottom Dean, Top Castiel, Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester, Bisexual Dean Winchester

NSFW

blueeyesandpie - @blueeyesandpie​

Destiel Gifset 

Summary: A gifset of key early-Cas moments that establish his loyalty/connection to Dean, set to the lyrics of Simon & Garfunkel's Kathy's Song.

Tags: dean winchester, castiel, gifsets, destiel, kathy's song, season 4, season 5

SFW

pingnova - @pingnova​ - pingnova

Don’t Kill The Messenger

Summary: Father Castiel Novak investigates miracles for the Vatican. While it’s disheartening when they all end up fakes, he continues his relentless pursuit in the name of faith and science. After a particularly convincing case in Brazil is taken from him, he’s reassigned to a believer in New York City who’s blessed with the wounds of Christ. Except, Dean Winchester turns out to be no believer, and he and Castiel have very different ideas of what constitutes a divine gift.

Tags: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Hurt Dean Winchester, Priest!Castiel, Possession, Angst, Gore, Temporary Major Character Death

SFW

Accompanying art by SketchyDean

gouinette parle trop - @artbloggouinetteparletrop​ 

Collection of Fan Art Made Through SUPTOBERART 

Summary: MASTERPOST for the art I created during suptoberart 2018

Tags: destiel, destiel fan art, wayward sisters, suptoberart 2018, spn fanart

SFW

MalMuses - @malmuses​ - MalMuses

Something in the Fog

Summary: Finally settling into some semblance of normalcy after Cas comes back from the Empty, Sam finds a case up in New England. In one historic town, people are losing their minds and drowning themselves in a nearby river. Sam and Dean set off alone, only to quickly call Cas to their aid when they realize that the unnerving town of Dunwich is hiding far more than your average witch or ghoul. Drawn into investigating a cult that worships a being far beyond their comprehension, Team Free Will doesn’t understand quite how much danger they are in... Fic posted for SPN Eldritch Bang.

Tags: Dub Con (Possession), Further Clairification of Dub Con Tag in the Appropriate Chapter, Cults, Canon-Typical Violence, Case Fic, Miscommunication, Eldritch Horror, Angst with a Happy Ending

NSFW

MalMuses - @malmuses​​ - MalMuses

Without A Trace

Summary: When Sam disappears during a hunt gone horribly wrong, Dean and his angel Castiel follow a trail of clues that lead them back through Sam’s past. Will Dean be able to save Sam from his history – and will Cas be able to save Dean from himself? Nothing is a simple as it seems for Dean and Cas. Luckily, they have some great friends (and unexpected allies) willing to help them through it. (WIP fic that finished posting this month.)

Tags: Canon Verse, MCD (temporary), Slow Burn, Smut, Fluff, Plot Twists, Torture, First Dates, Drowning, Kidnapping, BAMF!Cas, Gabriel is a badass, Redemption Arcs, Friends to Lovers, Sharing a Bed, Hurt/Comfort, Wing Kink, Grace Sharing, Angel True Forms, Miscommunication, Angst with a Happy Ending

NSFW

MalMuses - @malmuses​​​ - MalMuses

Soup and Whiskey

Summary: “Jack, you know Dean and I, well, we’re not…” Cas spoke quietly, making an awkward, vague hand gesture. The raised eyebrow that Jack gave him came directly from Sam. Cas could see the developing bitch face and it was equal parts entertaining and alarming. “Really,” Cas confirmed. “We aren’t.” Jack put his spoon down slowly to pick up his juice. “Then you should be,” he responded easily, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. A little 14x03 coda.

Tags: 14x03 Coda, Jack ex machina, First Kiss, Fluff, Love Confessions

SFW

saltnhalo - saltnhalo

What The Rain Brings

Summary: In which Castiel's new roommate—supposed to be an alpha, under the guidelines of the college dorms—turns out to be a) late, and b) a beautiful, sarcastic, drenched omega.

Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Omega Dean, Meet-Cute, True Mates, Scenting, Misunderstandings, Explicit Sexual Content, Topping from the Bottom, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Porn with Feelings

NSFW

The Sketching Fox - @sketching-fox​ 

My Little Destiel Collection

Summary: A Collection of 10 digital artworks, created during the SupToberArt /Inktober 2018, showing all posts about Destiel!  

Tags: Supernatural, Destiel, Castiel, Dean Winchester, SPNFanart, Spnart, suptober2018, suptoberart2018

SFW

Jdragon122 - @jdragon122​ - Jdragon122

Outlast

Summary: It seemed like a normal case. It always does... Dean has never seen Castiel, the real Castiel. But he’s never really thought about it until the truth of it is thrown in his face, abruptly, and violently. A case out in the deserts of Arizona and old Native American lands uncover a long dormant evil that reemerges when the brothers and the angel stumble upon it. The evil is hungry for power and what powerful being is more tempting than an angel. With Cas suddenly ripped from the brothers, stranded in the middle of the desolate wilderness, they must find a way to save their friend. With the clock ticking and their resources dwindling, Sam and Dean must find a way to defeat the evil and save Cas — before Cas becomes twisted beyond recognition, and before the hunters become the hunted.

Tags: Canon Divergent, Canon Conpliant, Canon-Typical Violence, season/series 11, Dark, Angst, Dean Whump, Cas Whump, Sam is okay though... mostly, Male OC, female OC, Angel True Forms, Castiel (Supernatural)’s True Form, Blood and Violence, very brief scene that might be considered noncon, graphic description of corpses, BAMF Castiel, BAMF Sam, BAMF Dean, switch Castiel, switch Dean, panic attacks, Case Fic, Hurt Dean, Hurt, angst with a happy ending, temporary character death, wings, topping from the bottom,

NSFW

BinJLG - @honeyedsam - BinJLG

Holloween

Summary: Dean spirals into a deep depression after casting Michael out and ends up isolating himself. But Castiel WILL NOT let him spend his favorite holiday alone.

Tags: Destiel, Dean Winchester/Castiel, Sam Winchester mentioned, Jack Kline mentioned, Mary Winchester mentioned, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicidal Ideation, Depressed Dean Winchester, Canon Divergence, Halloween, First Kiss, Depression, Mental Illness, Unreliable Narrator

SFW

Nera_Solani - @nera-solani​ - Nera_Solani

Show me your secrets and I’ll show you madness

Summary: Are you afraid of the dark? No?If you ever find a door that leads nowhere, don't go in. Four teenagers make the mistake of doing so anyway and don’t come back out. Which is how Dean, Sam and Castiel find themselves investigating a case that leads them right into an ancient Greek myth about a labyrinth housing a monster. But the monster isn't the only thing lurking in this dark place; the walls are breathing, watching, waiting… Being separated in a giant maze that isn’t attached to our reality isn’t how any of them had envisioned this case would go.

What is real? What is an illusion? Is that blood? What was that shadow? In every corner awaits a new nightmare, each one worse than the other. The three men need to save the missing teenagers and find a way out — if they can find each other, and live through the terrors the maze shows them. But none of that is easy when you’re being confronted with your worst memories and fears. Especially when you have to lose the love of your life over and over again… Well? Are you afraid of the dark? Maybe you should be.

Tags: Graphic depictions of Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Blood and Gore, Injury, Post-Season/Series 13, Case Fic, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Illusions, Hallucinations, Temporary Character Death, Hurt/Comfort, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Fluff and Angst, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship, Cuddling & Snuggling, Idiots in Love, Bisexual Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester Knows, Nearly Human Castiel, Grace Sex, DCBB 2018

NSFW

grumpyphoenix - @paintmeahero - grumpyphoenix

Glutton For Punishment

Summary: Castiel is trying out everything now that he's human. When he finds Dean's porn-stash, he wants to try some of it out, but Dean won't let him. So he has to goad Dean into it.

Tags: Kinktober 2018, Not Beta Read, Edgeplay, Dacryphilia, Spanking, Sadism, Masochism, Biting, Praise Kin,k Angry Sex, Bondage, Hair-pulling, Asphyxiation, Crossdressing, Costumes, Creampie, Under-negotiated Kink, Mildly Dubious Consent, Bad BDSM Etiquette, Jealousy, Human Castiel, Possessive Behaviour

NSFW

supernatural9917 - @supernatural9917fic​ - supernatural9917

We Eat in Here!

Summary: Sam is really sick of walking in on Dean and Cas boning. Written for the Destiel Smut Bingo. Square fill: Sam is scarred for life.

NSFW

supernatural9917 - @supernatural9917fic​ - supernatural9917

Doctor Doctor, Please

Summary: Dean has a special request of Cas Written for the Destiel Smut Bingo. Square fill: Playing doctor.

NSFW

supernatural99117 - @supernatural9917fic​ - supernatural9917

Roommate Wanted

Summary: Dean Winchester moved to Pontiac, Illinois six months ago when his girlfriend Carmen got a new job. Unfortunately for Dean, Carmen then left him for her boss, so he needs to find a roommate ASAP. Castiel Novak needs to move out of his brother’s house before his niece is born, and when he finds Dean’s ad on Craigslist, it seems like the perfect solution for both of them. So what if Dean is ridiculously gorgeous? Castiel can keep his crush under control. So what if Castiel is gay? Totally straight Dean isn’t at all affected by seeing him hook up with dudes. They’re just a couple of completely platonic roommates. Well… that’s what they think, anyway…

Written for the DeanCas Big Bang 2018 with art by @busysquirrel

NSFW

jscribbles - jscribbles

Taker of Souls

Summary: The angels have fallen. Castiel is human, Sam is recovering from the trials, and Dean doesn’t want to expose them to the world as it’s crumbling outside the bunker doors. To pass time in their solitude, Dean discovers a hidden room in the bunker full of dangerous magical artifacts and accidentally exposes his friends and family to an ancient horror. If Castiel thought adjusting to humanity was already a terror in itself, he experiences a world of pain when the ancient spirit Dean released chooses him as a vessel to fulfill its evil prophecy. Castiel begins to change as voices call out to him in the night and take the form of the one righteous man he desires, temptation drawing him to complete a ritual that will allow one of Hell’s most feared ancient entities to occupy his vessel. Before Sam, Dean, Kevin and Crowley know what is happening, they are thrown into a lockdown, unable to escape the bunker as the cruel, twisted monster inside of Castiel prowls the hallways, hunting them, thirsty for their blood, hungry for their souls.

Tags: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Castiel/Dean, temporary major character death, Minor Character Death, Pining, Slow Burn, non-con, dub-con, Blood, Gore, Body mutilation, Self Harm, zombie-type characters, Hallucinations, Nightmares, horror-imagery, offensive language/insults, spoilers for The Witch, the boys cry, Sickness, Possession, canon-calibre discussions of religion, the evil dead 2013, Crossover, Inspired By, Smut, minor prescription drug use, Vomiting

NSFW

idjitsaviors - @idjitsaviors - Glitchedwings & Akobel - @akobel

Baby, Baby

Summary: Trench was used to sitting on lots of objects, sitting in lots of cars. Baby was used to accommodating articles of clothing (mostly of the flannel variety), and many different items. Of course, Trench was not yet used to being dragged along on celestial plots, and Baby was not yet used to that happening in her backseat. Still, weirdness was the one constant in their daily lives, so the day the trench coat and car met was like any other. By now they’ve met several times over the years, caught in the crossfires of their two owners' friendship and pining. But when Trench is forced to spend months in Baby's trunk, will they finally watch their owners find love? And can they make something of their own? A mostly canon-adjacent fic following Dean and Cas through the eyes of Baby— and the eyes of Trench, her partner in crime.

Tags: Crack treated seriously, canon compliant, mutual pining SFW

[scalakidsdoc]

3. Familiarising Myself with Documentary (part 2)

(Date 19/02/21)

Nichols, B., 2017. Introduction to Documentary. 3rd ed. Indiana University Press.

I Want to Make a Documentary: Where Do I Start? This is the tenth chapter in a revised edition of Nichols’ acclaimed book. I will note what insight I gained from it here, with personal comments in bold. 

The Starting Point: Pre-production

- Screenplay not needed; world needs not to be created from scratch.

- Involves learning more about the existing world and how we can represent it in film.

- The idea stems from our relationship with the world around us. Something will ignite a passion that develops into a film.

- “It may begin as something about which we know little but want to know more, or something we’ve experienced for a long time and now feel we have a clear perspective on.”

I believe I have already somewhat tackled this initial stage – I have been ignited by a passion for a subject that I want to explore further. My relationship to the performing arts is an interesting one. I have always been adjacent to but not fully immersed in that particular world, for instance, a lot of my closest friends grew up as part of these amateur groups, and are now pursuing it at a higher level. I would always attend the shows, and listen to their backstage experiences. I did GSCE drama, and was always a dancer in the yearly school musical, but never pursued performance further than A level theatre. These combined experiences, a mixture of occasionally being onstage and being an observer, leaves me with a strange, complicated relationship to a craft I greatly admire. I have always felt like it was never in the cards for me to pursue acting as a profession, but I adore the construction of performance and the principles of what makes good theatre. I love to watch it, and analyse it, and I am obsessed with anyone passionate enough to enter the brutal industry of the performing arts. Back to Nichols.

What Is the Film About? What Is the Main Story or Focus?

- “Nonfiction stories can be about almost anything. They need not be about big, important topics to be big, important stories.”

- Short and to the point, or can invite longer, more thoughtful contemplation.

- Filmmaker needs to be driven by a passion to investigate the subject, that’s the key to what makes it compelling.

Why is the topic important? Why does it matter?

- Need to convince investors, financers, crew that the film is worth their attention.

- Proposal/ pitch vital.

- How will the project benefit those involved, send a message, make societal change, advance the art of filmmaking?

- “paint a picture of why it is important that the film be made and what the finished version will be like.”

- Persuasive language/ writing (why the filmmaker is a credible figure, offer convincing arguments of why the film should be made.)

- A clear understanding of the desired result can help the production process.

That last point is very important; It will be the best use of everyone’s time if we enter the shooting stage with a clear schedule, storyboards, interview questions etc. I will endeavor to make sure these are prepared and ready in plenty of time for peace of mind. I will of course develop these in the near future.

The pitch/ project proposal will be of great importance when I begin to communicate with potential participants. I want to make their involvement in the project appealing and worth their time and effort – to them I will be describing how I foresee the end result. I will be put to the test on how I come across professionally, but luckily, I can apply my existing people/conversation skills to this uncharted territory.

Some ideas I touched on in my first post that I believe will help convince the participants are:

- It will be a change for young talented people to show their passion and skill. A polished project like this will represent them positively, and will look good for any potential employers/ casting agents for jobs they want now or in the future.

- It will raise crucial topical questions about young people and their relationship to performing – how the industry is becoming increasingly unsupported by the government and yet the passion of the individual rages on. The company will hopefully want to be aligned with this sentiment, and convey an inspiring message to the audience.

Why should you be the one to tell this story?

“A coherent, compelling, well-written, or clearly spoken proposal by someone who knows his or her subject, knows what must still be learned or discovered, and conveys a passion for making the film is already well ahead of the game.”

- Demonstrate why you should be at the helm because you are passionate, and have done solid research.

What result do you want the film to have?

- No true answer – may be to provide a “captivating visual experience”, “chronicle a historical event”, address a societal issue etc.

- A clear idea of the film’s goal will help the proposal (which again, helps the production process.)

As I visualise it now, in this early stage, my film will rely on content that emerges from interviews, but the message will be reinforced and elevated by the visuals. For instance, one of the kids rehearses alone, in an empty studio, to highlight the disconnect between the now and the pre-pandemic, as the rehearsal was once a communal act among peers. I will definitely want to use some theatrical conventions (e.g stage lighting, costume) to reinforce the theme and play with performance. I will need to work out what elements will be pre-planned (e.g. organising with the talent if they need to prepare a performance) and what will emerge from the content of the interviews. Will it prompt any spontaneous new ideas? I should prepare for this, and allow room to manoeuvre around the shooting schedule.

What form will the film take?

- Narrative, poetic, or rhetorical?

- Will the film advocate for a solution/ approach to an issue?

- What mode works best has to be decided in relation to the specific project.

- Knowing what to avoid, what will work against your desired outcome, can also be valuable.

- Brief treatments must have an element of the cinematic – a beginning middle and end, and the language should create suspense and curiosity to discover more.

- Gather visual material (sketches, examples of other work) to help illustrate how the film will look and feel.

This final section inspires me to go ahead and start planning, creating storyboards and gathering existing examples that I can be inspired by. From there, once I have a CLEAR plan in mind, I can begin scouting for participants.

This will be the content over the next few posts. I will also be examining several acclaimed documentaries I have seen recently, looking at their strengths, and what aspects I can pull from them.

[muhamedshafaan]

Changes in SEO after Maycore update

   Changes in SEO after Maycore update

The new core algorithm update was announced on the official Google SearchLiaison Twitter account on May 4, 2020.Over a period of two weeks, they introduced the changes in a number of smaller updates to the algorithm.

Search engine ranking algorithms are a unique technology that is protected as an expensive commercial product. Google does not disclose the details of the algorithms operation and describes them with a single phrase: “Make content for people—get profit.” Unlike other updates, Google announces the Core Update on Twitter when the deployment is complete.

What has changed

E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness). It’s a key factor for YMYL sites. Those who neglected these factors rolled back farthest.

Mobile version site. It includes the adaptation of the mobile version to the users’ needs and its full support at the desktop level (development, new products implementation, A/B testing).

High-quality content. Even small sites with good content have improved their positions.

Link profile. There should be no spam by anchors or links of unknown origin.

The above is for the logical and expected improvements. However, there have been changes that surprised webmasters. Google experts have already commented on a number of them. After starting the updates, Google engineers collect feedback from webmasters and see what is broken. As a result, they have to smooth out the negative effects (false positives) because of which the owners of the “good” sites suffered. Many posts on social networks mention local search changes. Local SEO Specialist Darren Shaw notes that the niche has been storming since the end of April. Google experts have already confirmed that it had been a bug.

In addition, it is worth noting the following Google May 2020 Core algorithm updates:

Partner sites and aggregator sites improved their performance.

Projects with a strong brand image received a significant boost from Google, while “less branded” ones went down.

Some projects with a weak link profile also came forward.

Winners and losers of the Google algorithm update

Many at the World Forum of Webmasters have already been outraged by such changes. In their opinion, in less than a week, updates have led to a global decrease in traffic and online sales for many fields: healthcare, technology, finance, and dating.

After the first wave, SEMrush compared the average value of volatility seven days before and two days after the announcement of the update. The most affected categories at that time were: Travel, Real Estate, Health, Pets & Animals, and People & Society. This applies to search both on a computer and on mobile devices.

The five winners included such categories as News, Business & Industrial, Online Communities, Arts & Entertainment, and Health. The injured were Arts & Entertainment, Online Communities, Business & Industrial, Games, and News. The situation is ambiguous because several categories fell into both lists, which means that the matter is not only in the subject of the site itself but also in other factors that influenced the ranking.

Today, when the Google core update may 2020 impact calmed down a bit, the distribution of winners and losers has slightly changed. The News is still confidently holding the first place but sports and auto-related appeared among the main losers.

It’s important to understand that major core updates to the Google algorithm are usually not industry-specific. A change can have a strong impact on the niche, but this does not mean that it was the goal of the update. Traffic drawdown after algorithm changing may have nothing to do with the site itself, but is associated with a reassessment of ranking factors.

How to adapt to the changes

Changes have already occurred, so now webmasters can only observe, analyze and adapt to the latest Google algorithm update. Here are some points to pay attention to:

User signals matter

Google reports that it focuses on traffic signals determining in which cases the site is important and useful, and how much it meets the user’s expectations. Although it is too early to draw far-reaching conclusions, you can take a closer look at the sites that clearly benefit from Google changes May 2020.

The head of SEO at content marketing agency Suxeedo Niels Dahnke is sure that good user signals (high CTR, low bounce rate, and good dwell-time) have a positive effect on Google’s ranking stability.

Update your content

Constant posting and content updating is an important step in improving your position in SERP. It is not enough just to pull out old texts and add a couple of sentences to update them. You should make efforts to keep up with the Google algo update: check relevance, get rid of outdated information, add a few paragraphs, and, if necessary, even rewrite the entire article.

The famous marketer Neil Patel conducted a study based on 641 sites that regularly update their content. Thus, only about 6% of these sites have reduced search traffic by more than 10% since the update. SERP improved by 10% for more than 187 websites.

Make the content rich

Another important task for webmasters in the terms of the new update is to review the quantitative part of their content. Sites with thin content, i.e. where at least one page contains texts with a small number of words, went down. Of the 400 resources that Neil Patel tested, 31% were adversely affected: their search results fell by more than 10%.

Checking the site for the thin content is a must-do thing on the SEO checklist 2020, and not only as part of updates from Google, but also for regular work on the site quality. However, do not forget about common sense. See if it is really necessary to increase the number of words and whether you really need this page.

Improve SEO

Errors in the SEO, mainly duplicate headings and meta descriptions, can seriously influence the drop in search results. More than 20% of repetitions can critically affect performance. However, the pursuit of the perfect result is not always the right option. Using the same tags may be justified, for category pages with pagination for example. In other cases, you should fix the errors to match the Google SEO update.

Add expertise

After the May update, extra points in the search results went to the sites with first-hand expert opinion. The author of the texts should have good knowledge of the field they write about and, if possible, consult with relevant experts. Checklist for expert content:

It reveals the narrow aspects of the topic.

Heading H1 and subheadings H2-H6 correspond to the topic.

There are no spammed and uninformative texts.

There is a clear structure of articles including bulleted lists, graphics, tables, diagrams, videos, headings, and subheadings.

There are feedback forms and all the necessary information is visible.

Check with Google guidelines

Google emphasizes that a drop in SERP does not mean that the site is bad, just someone else has more relevant and high-quality content on the same topic, and that’s why users prefer the competitor’s site. Pay attention to Google’s recommendations for webmasters, especially after core updates. By responding to the changes in time, you will most likely be able to avoid traffic loss. It’s worth starting with two main points:

Check Google’s Quality Raters Guidelines for each item that may be applicable to your site as signs of high or low quality.

Refer to the official Google blog. An excellent checklist is presented there to verify that your content meets quality requirements.

How to keep up with Google’s changing algorithms

Google search algorithm updates are geared to improve the overall search quality. The sites that were previously ranked lower may rank unexpectedly higher, and vice versa. The webmaster’s task is to monitor all changes and improve the content, making it expert, relevant, and interesting. Then, whatever changes are brought about, you will still rank high on Google.

https://transorze.com/

[stewy497]

Stew Reviews - Celeste

So, after a full year of umming and erring over it, I finally gave in to peer pressure and got myself a Nintendo Switch. I’ve got the usual no-brainer titles to go with it; Mario Kart and Odyssey, Skyrim, Breath of the Wild, Rayman Legends, and The Binding of Isaac, curiously enough. But out of all the games I’ve played on this new system, the one that most cried out for analysis was a little indie project from Matt Thorson by the name of Celeste that Nintendo seem to be particularly eager to push.

I didn’t pick up Celeste immediately because from the gameplay trailer I had assumed it to be a slightly generic platformer. When I did pick it up a few days later, I found that mechanically, Celeste can be considered a contemporary of Super Meat Boy which I really like, being a tough-but-fair 2D pixel art precision platformer in the try-die-try-again mould. The gameplay isn’t particularly revolutionary, so I guess in a way I was right about it looking generic, but it is very solid and rarely unduly frustrating. The main innovation here is that you collect strawberries rather than bandages, and your basic move set is enhanced with the ability to climb walls and a short directional dash which you can use to quickly reposition yourself in mid-air. The physics are reliable and the platforming puzzles are all competently designed, being built around the dashing and climbing mechanics, so they always feel central and never like some gimmicky tag-on. Thusly, navigating a screen on the first attempt with a smoothly rattled off sequence of calculated jumps gives a feeling of indescribable satisfaction. Each level is visually distinct and has its own slight variations on platforming mechanics, such as dash extenders or trajectory-altering winds, so the game retains a stable core that doesn’t end up becoming stale. The game suggests that gathering the strawberries is completely optional and in the end grants little more than bragging rights, but it’s entertaining enough that I generally want to go after them while still being challenging without making me break the Switch into three pieces – not in the sense that it’s meant to, I mean – which few games can claim to achieve. There are also secrets to find, B-sides and crystal hearts, and admittedly their function isn’t readily apparent until you reach post game, but they do have one so they count towards something other than meaningless 100% completion. As satisfactory as this all is however, where Celeste really grabbed me was in the story.

Some minor spoilers ahead for the sake of analysis, so you may want to skip the next two paragraphs if you want to go into Celeste fresh.

You play as Madeline – assuming you decided not to abuse the enter-name-here feature – a young red-headed woman who has arrived at the foot of Mount Celeste with the intent to climb to the mountain’s summit. Right off the bat it’s quite obvious that Madeline is dealing with some deep-seated emotional issues, from the way she stubbornly proclaims how much she needs to reach the summit and the occasional cryptic dialogue exchange or dream sequence. One conversation in particular flat out states that she suffers from panic attacks, so presumably it’s some form of anxiety disorder. The thrust of all this is that climbing Mount Celeste serves as a metaphor for Madeline overcoming her problems, which as a writer and as someone who has experienced mental health issues myself, I can appreciate. It might not be the most complex piece of symbolism in the world, but it works and it works well. This theming is complemented by the gameplay itself too in a nice example of ludo-narrative synchronicity, as in the face of your literally hundreds upon hundreds of failed attempts, only your own determination not to give up can propel you onwards.

As you draw closer to the peak, you’ll meet and interact with various supporting characters. They’re all quite reliably grounded and likeable, and each of them strike a chord in different ways. First off is Theo, let’s call him our frame of reference as the most “normal” person in the story; a wanderlusting and aimless amateur photographer who’s also climbing the mountain, occasionally slightly brusque in his manner but also pragmatic and sensible with it. Then there’s a portly and spectacularly neurotic hotel owner who may or may not be dead and tends to overthink and worry to the point of paralysis; a half-mad old woman who lives at the foot of the mountain; and an evil red-eyed palate swap of Madeline representing all of her uncertainty and self-doubt who constantly tries to sabotage her ascent... You know, the usual stuff. Their interactions are well written and touching, with two particular moments close to the summit sticking in my mind.

Speaking of characters and their interactions, one object of note is that while the majority of the game is, as I mentioned earlier, presented in low-detail pixel art, for dialogue and key story beats the visuals employ cute, hand drawn illustrations. On their own they’re quite enjoyable to look at, but being spread out by large expanses of pixel art makes each one feel far more special and worth savouring. I found myself taking screenshots of the ones I particularly liked just so I could go back and look at them again later.

Overall, I can find very little to complain about with Celeste. About the only recurring issue I could name would be that the input for the left joystick might be a bit unforgiving; it seems like half of all my deaths could be attributed to Madeline dashing a different direction to the one I wanted. You can mitigate this to some degree by switching to the directional buttons, but good luck if you need to change direction more than once; while all other controllers use a single cross-shaped button because it makes it easier to find the direction you want, the Joy-Con’s four individual buttons mean that my thumb keeps getting confused and prodding the space between them. Yes, the Pro controller has a more traditional D-Pad, but it’s positioned below the analogue stick rather than above it like every other controller, so reaching for it feels unnatural and off-putting. And besides, I played most of the game in portable mode anyways, so it’s a moot point. I suppose the easiest fix for this issue is to simply play a different version of Celeste, since it’s available across all platforms, but I can still recommend the Switch version because, like The Binding of Isaac, this game’s model is well suited to being portable, and I enjoy being able to have my pick with how I play it.

Secondly, for a game with such strong writing, I get the feeling that the writers neglected to proof read their final draft. The end of the second level hints at something or someone in Madeline’s past, but after she wakes up from the dream sequence where this happens, that particular story beat is never brought up again. If you’d hoped I would forget about it, Matt, perhaps it would have been worth coming up with another level or two to pad the runtime and improve the odds of that.

The last incredibly petty thing I have to say is that it’s often unclear whether or not Celeste’s mechanics are diegetic – that is to say, whether they exist within the context of the game’s story or purely for the sake of gameplay. Yes, I know that I’m probably the only person who cares about this, but it got on my nerves and it pads out the word count so I’m going to talk about it anyways. Part of the reason for this is that Mount Celeste is established as a supernatural setting that brings certain qualities out in those who scale it, but it’s hard to see where the dividing line is. Is Madeline actually capable of dashing in mid-air? A feat like that should be physically impossible without generating the force of a nuclear blast, but it’s demonstrated in cutscenes multiple times so I suppose she must be? What about the dash-extending space voids in the second level? The whole game it seemed those were simply part of Madeline’s dream, but then during the final climax when the game’s throwing everything it has at you, they return alongside everything else. But like I said, I’m the only person who cares about this so it’s hardly a deal breaker. I digress.

So, bottom line: a narrative triumph with solid and entertaining core gameplay. To be enjoyed by anyone who can face a challenge, and a must-play for those in the indie market.

[hibernianbok]

Happy B-day Hetalia :D

Here’s a headcanon for every official character :D

African characters:

Cameroon: He enjoys going to schools around his country, he always tries to play a couple of matches against the kids. He lets them win to build their confidence in themselves.

Egypt: Someone when he’s sad he writes letters to his mother in hieroglyphics, he then puts it in the Nile hoping she’ll find it, one day.

Seychelles: Whenever she visits France's place she does her hair in a french plait. No reason, She just likes to plait her hair when she visits.

Asian characters:

China: Whenever he gets time off, he loves to ride a bike on the xi’an wall, he loves taking in the city. Sometimes he likes to think about how it has changed.

Cyprus: Whenever he is around Greece and Turkey he considers himself the “mature” one. With all their arguing who wouldn’t?

Hong Kong: Due to his fear of the dark, whenever he’s at a friend/family’s house he’ll refuse to let them leave the room he’s sleeping in till he’s asleep, he’ll hold their hand the whole night if that means they’ll stay.

India: His favorite pastime is drawing is hennas on people's arm, if nobody is around he’ll draw one on himself. Every single one he does is a work of art!

Japan: On trips to meeting or even on holiday he brings an emergency blanket to burrito in, he has been found on more than one occasion huddled up in his hotel room rather than outside enjoying himself.

S.korea: he knows how to K-pop dance, every time one of his many K-pop artist releases a new song with dance moves he’ll practice it till he perfects it.

Macau: Around new people he acts like a gentleman, he always offers the best of his hospitality, around his family he’s a lot more casual and tends to make jokes.

Russia: He is amazing at ballet, only his sisters and his teacher knows this though, he is way too embarrassed to tell anyone else.

Taiwan: She has lucky cats hidden around her house, when she is tired or bored she likes to flick the kitty’s arm. Sometimes she giggles at their movements.

Thailand: Bad hair days are horrible for him, the majority of his day will be dedicated to making his hair fluffy again.

Turkey: Sometimes he likes to go to the mills in his country and help the ladies there make carpets, he loves the detail that goes into them.

Vietnam: Her loves to a coracle around Ha Long Bay, especially at night. She loves to sit in the middle of the bay and stare at the stars.

European countries:

Austria: He can recite entire script of the sound of music. It's his favorite musical because it's from his place and actually happened!

Belarus: When she is around someone she truly hates she’ll stare at them and think of every possible way to kill them till they walk/run away. She always smirks afterwards.

Belgium: She has a habit of cooking when she’s not hungry, she’ll just start making waffles at 3am for no reason. Most of the food she makes is given to her brothers because free food = more money.

Bulgaria: He has an entire cabinet full of his cosplay outfits, he is very careful when washing and drying all of his outfits and rarely ever lets people try them on, for obvious reasons.

Czech: Her tolerance to alcohol is very high. It takes quite a few beers before she can be considered drunk.

Denmark: More than once he has decided to break into Sweden's house and made a sofa fort, he defends it like it’s his own castle.

England: His favorite tea is Earl Grey. He is open to trying other types though, his second favorite tea is PG tips.

Estonia: He will spend an entire day blogging stuff, sometimes Latvia or Finland will have to come over to make sure he is actually eating and sleeping.

Finland: He’s a lot stronger than many people give him credit for, I mean just think about his country's sniping history and how he was excited to fight against Lithuania and Poland!

France: On the short breaks (weekends) he likes to travel around his place to taste wine. He can name every vineyard and seller in alphabetical order.

Germany: He takes on more work than he can handle. The reason behind this is so at the end of the week he feels like he has accomplished something.

Greece: Sometimes when he is bored he’ll make mini statues of Greek gods and goddess.  He’ll just get a bit of clay and mold it into a god.

Hungary: Her favorite pastime is to bathe in her hot springs. Not these new fancy ones, the original ones that were built during the old days.

Iceland: He has an account for nearly everyone social media site, most of which he’s too scared to actually post something because he fears of being judged.

Italy: I bet you he owns a book based on the different types of pasta, he doesn’t even need it he can name every single style of pasta.

Latvia: The reason he is often hanging out with the micro-nations is because it makes him feel more grown up, he likes being the oldest in a group!

Liechtenstein: She has more than one ribbon. The one her brother gave to her is very special to her, so much so that she bought herself more ribbons so that she doesn’t ruin the one Switzerland got her.

Lithuania: He has defended Latvia more than once, a lot of times when russia was about to punish Latvia, lith took it for him.

Luxembourg: Sometimes when he is feeling mischievous he’ll which the side his hair falls on, this makes ned’s eyes twitch and Belgium mentally scream trying to figure out what’s off.

Moldova: More often than not he’ll watch horror movies way over his age (Well not his actual age but his personified age), he is often scolded by his big brother Romania because of this.

Monaco: She’s made make up tutorials before, they are all very detailed and anyone can pull it off! She has never uploaded any though, the key to her beauty must remain secret~ (even though she’s prettier without it)

Netherlands: He lets his bunny sleep in his bed. As neat as he is having his little fluffy friend to cuddle up with helps him sleep.

Norway: He knows the names and address of every coffee shop at his place, he can also name the place where the coffee was grown. It’s his wine.

Poland: He is very religious, every Sunday he goes to church. As flamboyant as he may be he’ll thank god for all he has.

Portugal: He barely ever combs his hair, not because he doesn’t want to but because he is always doing stuff. When he does get the chance to comb his hair he’ll take a good hour combing it.

Prussia: whenever he is home alone he busts out the old shirt on trousers off moves. If Germany gets home early he’ll be greeted with his awesome brother in his tighty whities.

Romania: Sometimes when he wants to troll people he’ll dye his water blood red, people call him a vampire anyways, why not freak them out a bit more?

Slovakia: He is rather lazy when it comes to personal hygiene, he’d rather just get some dry shampoo and a couple of wet wipes then take an hour in the shower.

South Italy: He often trips over his own feet, so he’ll be walking down the street minding his own business and casually fall over. He plays it off very well though!

Spain: Sometimes when he’s bored he’ll put on his dancing clothes, he doesn’t need a partner, a broom will do quite nicely~

Sweden: Is one of the best dancers ever. Think about it, most of the music that comes from his place are addictive and have dance moves that everyone knows! (Caramelldansen)

Switzerland: Has a manual on how to win monopoly every time, it doesn’t matter if the others see it, so long as he wins he doesn’t care.

Ukraine: She really enjoys being around the micro-nations, especially if they enjoy her company too. She likes to mother the little ones, she’s very motherly.

Mirco-nations:

Hutt river: The main reason he is so fancy is because of Australia, he wants to be noticed by him so he sparkles~

Kunglemungle: He loves to be left alone to practice his art, even if it’s just for a few minutes it can mean the world to him.

Molossia: The only person that truly sees his soft side is america, he is the only person that he trust not to tell anyone

Niko Niko: Although he’s human now he still acts like a micro-nation. He was born as one and he will forever be one to everyone else.

Sealand: He is scared of fires, whenever fire is mentioned he feels tears falling from his eyes. (Sealand had a pretty bad fire a while back)

Seborga: Sometimes he likes to see how many people he can flirt with in one day, he makes it a little game for himself.

TRNC: He barley ever hangs out with the other micro-nations, he’d rather just hang out with turkey and his big brother.

Wy: When she is around the other female nations she asks if they can do her hair, she likes how Ms.Belgium does her hair the most!

North America:

America: He still cuddles with a stuffed animals when he’s asleep. He really likes to cuddle things at night and if nobody is nearby his bear is his lifesaver.

Canada: He really likes hiking during his time off, he’ll often go on holidays to mountainy areas so he can go on a nice, long, hike.

Cuba: He enjoys taking naps on the beach, if he could he’d lay there all day watching the waves roll in and out whilst having a cheeky smoke.

Oceania:

Australia: Sometimes when he’s feeling upset he’ll hangout in the bush with all the animals, he feels like he can connect more with the animals than actual people.

New Zealand: He is very aggressive when playing sports, he may seem like a sweetheart when talking but as soon as he puts his uniform on it’s game O N

HOLY MOLY THAT TOOK FOREVER I FEEL ACCOMPLISHED! 

[voodoochili]

My Favorite Songs of 2019

2019 was a fantastic year for music, but then again every year is. We as listeners have been blessed with abundance, and tasked with the delightful work of sifting through freshwater to find gold. This year, the most reliably golden genres were West African pop and West Coast Rap. Go figure.

The following represents my favorite 100 songs of the year. My only rules: 1) one song per lead artist (a lucky few earned multiple placements through the “featured artist” loophole).

Below are the write-ups (everyone’s favorite part) and stay tuned for my albums list, coming next week. Don’t forget to scroll all the way down for a Spotify playlist of the full list!

25. Desperate Journalist - “Satellite” - A sweeping, emotional rock song by a veteran rock band that can uncork one of these in their sleep. What makes this one special? The dynamic changes in the pre-chorus, the soaring guitar solo, and the passionate performance from lead singer Jo Bevan.

24. Jacques Greene - “Stars” - A brilliant bit of ambient techno that evokes the seminal electronic classic “Little Fluffy Clouds,” by The Orb. Instead of desert clouds, the anonymous female narrator describes a pastoral dream about the night skies of her youth. A transporting piece of music that should’ve been twice as long--five minutes is a cruelly short lifespan for this kind of bliss.

23. Rosalía - “Con Altura” ft. J Balvin - After the brilliant and singular El Mal Querer demonstrated Rosalía’s singular talent, “Con Altura” announced her intentions for worldwide domination. Created with frequent Rosalía collaborator El Guincho and chameleonic superstar J Balvin, “Con Altura” contains two of the year’s most insidious hooks--the soft-spoken call-and-response chorus, and Rosalía’s snake-charming bridge, the strongest indication yet that global stardom won’t stop the Catalonian chanteuse from pushing music forward.

22. Faye Webster - “Room Temperature” – 2019’s answer to “Swingin’ Party,” the Replacements’ great anthem for introverts, the introductory track on Webster’s Atlanta Millionaire’s Club album drifts along with Hawaiian-flavored pedal steel and a palpable sense of regret, as the 21-year-old singer longs to escape her perfectly comfortable surroundings. 21. Yhung T.O. - “Lately” ft. Lil Sheik - Easy, breezy, beautiful Bay Area rap, carried by T.O.’s dulcet tones and Sheik’s unrepentant dirtbaggery. The beat by Armani Depaul is one of my favorite retro-facing rap beats in a while, complete with smooth digital strings and security-pad synths. 20. The New Pornographers - “You’ll Need a New Backseat Driver” - Every five years or so, A.C. Newman writes a melody so strong that it requires Neko Case’s ultra-powerful alto to properly do it justice. This year, that song is “You’ll Need a New Backseat Driver,” which strives for, and nearly approaches, the heights of previous Pornos stunners like “The Laws Have Changed” and “Champions of Red Wine.” 

19. Floating Points - “LesAlpx” - Surrounded by outré synth experiments and beatless soundscapes on Crush, the first Floating Points album since 2015, “LesAlpx” is Sam Shepherd’s gift to club-goers everywhere. It’s a lean and mean house track, foregrounding propulsive percussion and rubbery bass, but it’s also deeply cerebral, creating a sense of foreboding urgency with detuned synths and ambient sine waves. 18. Daphni - “Sizzling” ft. Paradise - Built around a sample of Paradise’s seminal single “Sizzlin’ Hot,” Dan Snaith’s “Sizzling” extends the best moments of the classic post-disco smash to create five minutes of pure euphoria. The song starts in media res, with the groove in full form, and peaks at the end, when Snaith finally allows Paradise’s June Ventzos to finish her thought atop jubilant trumpets. 17. J Hus - “Must Be” - The latest genre-blending collaboration between J Hus and genius producer JAE5 proves that no man is safe from Hus’s dazzling logic, as he stacks syllogism after syllogism over an irresistible, afropop-flavored groove: “If it walk like an opp/Talk like an opp/Smell like an opp/Then it must be.” 16. Vampire Weekend - “Jerusalem, New York, Berlin” - Ever indulging his literary ambitions, Ezra Koenig uses the final track on Father Of The Bride to examine his Jewish identity, and to reckon with a world that hasn’t made sense since World War I. The prettiest melody on an album dripping with pretty melodies, “Jerusalem, New York, Berlin” packs enough symbolism into three minutes to inspire a seminar at Koenig’s Ivy League alma mater. Supported by yearning, spritely piano, Koenig ends the song with a poignant plea for peace, within reason: “So let them win the battle/But don't let them restart/That genocidal feeling/That beats in every heart.” 15. Great Grandpa - “Bloom” - The highlight from Great Grandpa’s outstanding Four Of Arrows album, “Bloom” is two songs in one. Part one brings punchy acoustic guitar that recalls ‘90s adult alternative (think Matchbox 20) and prime-era Saddle Creek (think Rilo Kiley) in equal measure. The second par tcompletes the song’s emotional arc, slowing down for a hypnotic wordless chorus, backed by weeping violins,. The key line here: “Please say I’m young enough to change.” 14. Spellling - “Real Fun” – Gleefully dramatic and overflowing with evil-sounding synths, “Real Fun” synthesizes Neneh Cherry, Bauhaus, and Cabaret into something that sounds like a villain’s theme in an animated musical that hasn’t been written yet.   13. Earthgang - “Proud Of U” ft. Young Thug – There’s no straight man to ground this ATL trio, as all three emcees lean into their vocal eccentricities while expressing their thanks to the women in their lives atop a mutating, guitar-driven beat. 12. Stella Donnelly - “Tricks” – In which the young heroine attempts to rid herself of a particularly toxic ex, who isn’t just misogynist, but a potential white supremacist sympathizer (her subject’s “Southern Cross Tattoo” is like an Aussie version of the MAGA hat). Heavy stuff, but Donnelly delivers everything with a grin, as if she’s wondering in real time why the hell she ever bothered with this jamoke. 11. Jenny Lewis - “On The Line” - The title track and emotional climax of Jenny Lewis’ latest album, “On The Line” boasts one of the finest vocal performances in her long career, sweetly assassinating her cheating ex-lover with a lilting melody and wry smile.

10. Lucinda Chua - “Whatever It Takes” – Lucinda Chua makes languid art pop in the tradition of fka twigs, but I prefer her understated longing to twigs herself. Her main instrument is the cello, but this track foregoes that sound almost entirely, opting instead for resonant Wurlitzer keys and multi-layered vocal harmonies, and shunting traditional song structure aside in favor of one enigmatic verse, repeating at odd intervals throughout: “Wait/The demons I carry are fake/I will fight our fire, too late.” 9. ShooterGang Kony - “Charlie” – The year’s most cold-blooded mob banger starts with the line “fuck the police and your mama if you ask me” and only escalates from there. Rhyming without affect over hiccuping bass, Kony mercilessly ethers cops, R&B singers, and women named Ashley before threatening to shoot you with a gun that sounds like Fozzy Bear. 8. KEY! - “Miami Too Much” – My favorite Atlanta rap song of the year gets its power from its hilariously specific central conceit, with KEY’s impassioned vocal selling the bit: “If you seen that ass, you'd make a song too.” How often must someone visit Dade County before it becomes an irreconcilable difference in an otherwise healthy relationship? 7. Raphael Saadiq - “Something Keeps Calling” ft. Rob Bacon - Named after his older brother, Raphael Saddiq’s towering Jimmy Lee album examines the personal cost of the crack epidemic, and the outsized role addiction plays in the lives of the destitute. “Something Keeps Calling” is the album’s crushing centerpiece, painting substances as at once a seductive lover and a heavy burden, one that overrides all common sense and decency: “My friends say I can never pull it together/Well they might be right, at least tonight/My kids say I'll never come home again/And I know they're right, at least tonight.” The song climaxes with Rob Bacon’s wailing guitar solo, which tries in vain to reach out to those beyond hope. 6. Bad Bunny & J Balvin - “La Canción” - Nestled in the middle of Balvin and Bunny’s summer smash OASIS, “La Canción” takes a break from the party to dwell on the inherent emptiness of their hedonistic lifestyle, as a mournful trumpet echoes the Reggaetoneros’ longing for meaningful connection amidst their chaotic lives. 5. Polo G - “Pop Out” ft. Lil TJay – Only Polo G would interrupt his own robbery to examine the sociological causes of his behavior: “We come from poverty, man, we ain't have a thing.” But on the rest of “Pop Out,” Polo leans into the dark side of his persona, before 2019’s most unlikely guest verse assassin Lil TJay brings the pathos: “If I showed you all my charges, you won't look at me the same.” In contrast to how effortless the two rappers sound atop the dramatic piano loop, listening to Lil Baby and Gunna wheeze through the remix hammers home the high degree of difficulty of such nimble melodics. It’s a testament to how fast rap music moves these days that Polo and TJay can make last year’s It Duo sound like geezers. 4. Octo Octa - “I Need You” – It starts as an intoxicatingly minimal expression of dancefloor lust, but halfway through, “I Need You” morphs into a sincere and moving tribute to everybody who helped Octo Octa become the woman she is today. It’s a moving moment tucked within an epic club track that works equally well as build-up or comedown.

3. Purple Mountains - “All My Happiness Is Gone” - It’s hard to find the words for this one, a matter-of-fact documentation of a man slowly losing his will to live--which became heartbreakingly clear when David Berman committed suicide in August. But because it’s Berman, “All My Happiness Is Gone” is packed with genius-level wordplay and devastating observations, and enough gallows humor to truly emphasize the gravity of his situation: “Friends are warmer than gold when you're old/And keeping them is harder than you might suppose//Lately, I tend to make strangers wherever I go/Some of them were once people I was happy to know.” I’ll keep going: “Ten thousand afternoons ago/All my happiness just overflowed/That was life at first and goal to go.” And one more: “Where nothing's wrong and no one's asking/But the fear's so strong it leaves you gasping/No way to last out here like this for long.”

2. Big Thief - “Not” - A torrid, slow-burning rocker, “Not” showcases lead singer-songwriter Adrienne Lenker’s skill with oblique imagery and wild-eyed intensity. Lenker rattles off a long list of poetic observations, trying to get to the heart of something (everything?) without ever finding a satisfactory answer, as the music morphs from a controlled simmer to a cacophonous freakout. “Not” climaxes with a riotous guitar solo from Lenker herself, one that reaches towards the cosmos and echoes her frayed vocal. As always with Big Thief, though, the song soars in the smallest moments, like when guitarist Buck Meek enters with plainspoken backing vocals, and at the beginning of the second verse when the guitars drop out and Lenker’s voice stands alone.

1. Burna Boy - “Anybody” - Sometimes the best song of the year is the one that makes you feel the best, and no song this year made me feel better than “Anybody.” “Anybody” is both inviting and aloof, urgent and relaxing. Riding an irresistible groove defined by syncopated keys, driving percussion, and an eager-to-please saxophone, Burna Boy slides between Pidgin English and Yoruba chasing a feeling that resonates beyond the capabilities of language. It’s a song about demanding and receiving respect, dripping with the contagious confidence of an African Giant. And for three minutes, you’ll feel like a giant too.

THE REST: 26. DaBaby - “Intro” 27. Perfume Genius - “Eye On The Wall” 28. Yves Jarvis - “To Say That Is Easy” 29. Doja Cat - “Cyber Sex” 30. Mannequin Pussy - “Drunk II” 31. Better Oblivion Community Center - “Dylan Thomas” 32. Shoreline Mafia - “Wings” 33. Kehlani - “Footsteps” ft. Musiq Soulchild 34. Obangjayar - “Frens” 35. Ariana Grande - “NASA” 36. Mustard ft. Roddy Ricch - “Ballin” 37. Baby Keem - “ORANGE SODA” 38. Jessie Ware - “Adore You” 39. 03 Greedo x Kenny Beats - “Disco Shit” ft. Freddie Gibbs 40. Martha - “Love Keeps Kicking” 41. Lucki - “More Than Ever” 42. Park Hye-Jin - “Call Me” 43. DaVido - “Disturbance” ft. Peruzzi 44. The Japanese House - “Worms” 45. Spencer Radcliffe - “Here Comes The Snow” 46. Dawn Richard - “Dreams And Converse” 47. ALLBLACK & Offset Jim - “Fees” ft. Capolow 48. David Kilgour - “Smoke You Right Out Of Here” 49. Sandro Perri - “Wrong About The Rain” 50. Nilüfer Yanya - “In Your Head” 51. Julia Jacklin - “Don’t Know How To Keep Loving You” 52. Miraa May - “Angles” ft. JME 53. (Sandy) Alex G - “Gretel” 54. Kelsey Lu - “Due West” 55. glass beach - “classic j dies and goes to hell, pt. 1” 56. Peggy Gou - “Starry Night” 57. Cate Le Bon - “Home To You” 58. Busy Signal - “Balloon” 59. NLE Choppa - “Shotta Flow” 60. Dee Watkins - “Hell Raiser” 61. Ari Lennox - “I Been” 62. The National - “Not In Kansas” 63. Shordie Shordie - “Both Sides” ft. Shoreline Mafia 64. Alex Lahey - “Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself” 65. Angel Olsen - “New Love Cassette” 66. Young Dolph - “Tric Or Treat” 67. Koffee - “Throne” 68. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - “Half Manne, Half Cocaine” 69. Noname - “Song 32” 70. Anthony Naples - “A.I.R.” 71. Samthing Soweto - “Omama Bomthandazo (feat Makhafula Vilakazi)” 72. KAYTRANADA - “10%” ft. Kali Uchis 73. Moodymann - “Got Me Coming Back Right Now” 74. Drakeo The Ruler - “Let’s Go” ft. 03 Greedo 75. Teejayx6 - “Dark Web” 76. Cass McCombs - “I Followed The River South to What” 77. Gunna - “Idk Why” 78. Sharon Van Etten - “You Shadow” 79. Tresor - “Sondela” ft. Msaki 80. E-40 - “Chase The Money” ft. Quavo, Roddy Ricch, ScHoolboy Q & A$AP Ferg 81. Spielbergs - “Running All The Way Home” 82. 24kGoldn - “Valentino” 83. Quelle Chris - “Box of Wheaties” 84. Emily King - “Go Back” 85. AzChike - “Yadda Mean” ft. Keak Da Sneak 86. Club Night - “Path” 87. Zeelooperz - “Easter Sunday” ft. Earl Sweatshirt 88. Kim Gordon - “Murdered Out” 89. YS - “Bompton” (Remix) ft. 1TakeJay & OhGeesy 90. Future - “Never Stop” 91. Lowly - “baglaens” 92. SAULT - “Masterpiece” 93. Earl Sweatshirt - “TISK TISK/COOKIES” 94. Fireboy DML - “Energy” 95. Rio Da Young OG & Lil E - “Buy The Block” 96. Sacred Paws - “Write This Down” 97. Wilco - “Everyone Hides” 98. Black Belt Eagle Scout - “Real Lovin” 99. Sleepy Hallow - “Breakin Bad (Okay)” ft. Sheff G 100. Aimee Leigh & Baby Billy - “Misbehavin’ (1989)”

Here’s a Spotify playlist of the full list: 

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Fall Movie Preview 2019

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Fall Movie Preview 2019

Fall movie season is here! This is always my favorite time of the year to see movies. There’s such a wonderful variety of films available to see in theaters. Everything from awards season contenders, indie darlings, and exciting space adventures! Get ready to make your way to the theater because this looks like it’s going to be a great season at the movies. Let’s take a look at what’s coming soon.

SEPTEMBER September 13th The Goldfinch Starring: Ansel Elgort, Oakes Fengley, Nicole Kidman, Finn Wolfhard Bring the tissues and prepare yourself for a rollercoaster of emotions because this is gonna be a wild ride. The Goldfinch is based on the Pultizer Prize winning novel by Donna Tart. This is one of the best books I’ve read recently, but it’s quite an emotional journey. It follows 13-year-old Theo Decker after the traumatic death of his mother in an art museum bombing. It’s a haunting and powerful story about the human condition once grief becomes a prominent force in one’s life. The film is directed by John Crowley with Roger Deakins as director of photography. That’s what I call must-see cinema.

Hustlers Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Cardi B, Lili Reinhart Based on a New York Times article, former strip club employees band together to hustle their Wall Street Clients during the late 2000’s financial crisis. This looks a bit like the heist of Oceans 8 meets the real world story of Molly’s Game. It has quite a star studded female cast of movie/TV/and music stars and is directed by Lorene Scafaria (Seeking a Friend at the End of the World, The Meddler.)

September 20th Downton Abbey Starring: Michelle Dockery, Maggie Smith, Hugh Boneville, Jim Carter You love Downton Abbey, I love Downton Abbey. Everyone loves Downton Abbey. I can hear the theme song playing in my head just thinking of the movie being released. That’s right, the beloved TV series is coming to the big screen. Hopefully, it won’t be anything like the season 3 finale. (Real fans know the pain and struggle. We can’t go back to that time.) In the film, Downton Abbey will be visited by the royal family. I’m sure it will make for quite an impressive cinematic experience. As a fan of the show, I can’t wait to see it all on the big screen!

Ad Astra Starring: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Liv Tyler Just two months after showing the world that he doesn’t age in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Brad Pitt is back and he’s going to space. It makes sense, fall is the only logical time to release a film in the space genre. (The Martian, Interstellar, First Man, Arrival, Gravity were all released in the fall,.) Ad Astra is all about an astronaut who takes on a mission to uncover the truth about his missing father. The film is directed by James Gray (The Lost City of Z, The Immigrant). I just hope Brad Pitt gets to wear his iconic Hawaiian shirt. Audiences demand to see it again.

September 27th Judy Starring: Renée Zellweger, Finn Wittrock, Jessie Buckley, Rufus Sewell There’s nothing like a good biographical drama. Throw in musical numbers and it’s a hit in my eyes. Renée Zellweger stars as the iconic Judy Garland in this biopic that explores her life in 1969 as she arrives in London to perform a series of sold out concerts. Word from the Telluride Film Festival is that Renée Zellweger gives a very strong performance as Judy. Could she have an awards season run on her hands for Best Actress? We’ll see very soon!

OCTOBER

October 4th Joker Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert de Niro, Zazie Beets Joaquin Phoenix stars as the Joker in this standalone film that focuses on the origins of the DC villain. The film received an 8 minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, which seems pretty excessive for any movie. I’m just not a movie applauder. It’s unnatural to me. I’m also not much of a Joker enthusiast so I can’t get too excited about this or the way it seemingly wants me to feel sympathy for the Joker. I don’t. He’s a terrorist. However, this is going to be a huge cinematic event. There are striking similarities to 70’s hit films The King of Comedy and Taxi Driver in the first trailers of the film. Director Todd Phillips clearly wanted to make a unique comic book film and this one will have people talking.

Lucy in the Sky Starring: Natalie Portman, Dan Stevens, Jon Hamm Another space movie! Fall movie season demands it. After returning from space, astronaut Lucy Cola begins to feel withdrawn and disconnected from reality. The film is loosely based on Lisa Nowak, an astronaut who lost her grip on reality after returning to earth after space travel. One thing’s for sure, with a cast including Natalie Portman, Jon Hamm, and Dan Stevens, this one promises some impressive acting.

October 11 Gemini Man Starring: Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen An assassin becomes the target of a mysterious government operative who can predict his every move. Soon he finds out that the mysterious operative is a clone of himself. Can Gemini Man help director Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) find critical acclaim again after 2016’s underwhelming Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.

The King Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Robert Pattinson, Joel Edgerton Based on Shakespeare’s Henriad, The King follows Henry V as he takes the throne after his father’s death and navigates a kingdom filled with war, chaos, and political strife. While all of that is very interesting, I think we need to discuss the hair in this movie. First of all, there’s Timothée Chalamet’s bowl cut, which is quite a situation. So very round and tragic. Why Timothée? You know you have great hair, but the bowl cut is not your look! Then, there’s Robert Pattinson’s wig. It’s kind of amazing. The hair in this movie alone is going to keep me entertained for 2 hours. The King will be in limited release theaters on October 11th and begin streaming on Netflix November 1st.

October 18th Zombieland: Double Tap Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin This sequel comes 10 years after the popular zombie comedy first made its way to theaters. A lot has changed for the cast since 2009. Emma Stone has won an Oscar for La La Land, Jesse Eisenberg received a nomination for The Social Network, and Woody Harrelson has appeared in several projects including the Oscar nominated Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and the critically acclaimed series True Detective. That doesn’t stop this cast for returning for a sequel!  This time around, the team is back in the American heartland to face off against evolved zombies.

The Lighthouse Starring: Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe I was initially indifferent towards this movie, but after watching the trailer I have to see it just to solve the mystery of who spilled those beans! Willem Dafoe is going INSANE over it. “Why’d ya spill your beans?” Someone please answer him before he turns into the Green Goblin! This movie is about two lighthouse keepers who try to maintain their sanity while living in seclusion on a remote island in Maine. (It’s also about beans, I think). The cinematography for The Lighthouse has a unique old Hollywood feel that is very intriguing.

Jojo Rabbit Starring: Taika Watiti, Scarlett Johannson, Roman Griffin, Sam Rockwell Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) directs and stars in Jojo Rabbit, an “anti-hate satire” about a young German boy whose imaginary best friend is an idiotic version of Hitler. One day, he discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home and Jojo’s world is turned upside down. There’s no doubt this will be controversial, but the key word here is satire. Taiki Waititi is Jewish himself and the film is obviously making fun of Nazis.

NOVEMBER

November 1st The Irishman Starring: Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci Martin Scorsese’s long awaited gangster epic is finally premiering this November. The 3 1/2 hour crime drama (Scorsese loves a good 3-hour runtime!) focuses on the life of Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran a mob hitman who played a role in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. Netflix is distributing the film, but it will be available to see in select theaters on November 1st for cinematic purists. It will begin streaming on Netflix November 27th. (Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Go ahead and watch a 3-hour mafia epic with your family for the holiday! It’s Martin’s gift to you.)

Harriet Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Janelle Monet, Joe Alwyn The true story of Harriet Tubman and her harrowing escape from slavery that eventually led to the Underground Railroad. Cynthia Ervio is going to be amazing in this role! She was such a breakout star in Widows and Bad Times at the El Royale. Can’t wait to see her portrayal of Harriet Tubman.

Terminator: Dark Fate Starring: Mackenzie Davis, Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger The Terminator is back. In yet another installment of the franchise that will last forever, Sarah Connor and a hybrid human must protect a young girl from a newly modified Terminator from the future.

November 8th Doctor Sleep Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Jacob Tremblay 39 years after The Shining, it’s getting a sequel. Based on the novel by Steven King, Doctor Sleep focuses on an adult Danny Torrance as he meets a girl with similar “shining” powers and tries to protect her from a cult called The True Knot. There’s a lot of talent involved in this project, but The Shining is untouchable in terms of classic movies. There’s no need to make a sequel. Not to mention, this plot summary sounds kind of weak. Consider me very skeptical that this will be good.

Last Christmas Starring: Emilia Clarke, Henry Goulding, Emma Thompson A Christmas rom-com! Let’s jump for joy because a Christmas rom com is making its way to theaters! Last Christmas is all about Kate, a depressed woman working as Santa’s elf in a department store. She keeps bumping into the same man, Tom, who may help her find happiness in the holiday season. Henry Goulding/Emilia Clarke romance+Christmas? Sounds like a recipe for the perfect holiday movie!

Honey Boy Starring: Shia Labeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe It’s no secret that Shia LaBeouf has had a chaotic lifestyle in his post-Disney days. It looks like audiences are about to find out what has gone on behind-the-scenes in Honey Boy. The film is written by LaBeouf and follows his own experiences with fame and the strained relationship with his dysfunctional father. Noah Jupe and Lucas Hedges will be playing Shia LaBeouf as a child and teen actor, while Shia LaBeouf will play his own father for a meta twist. As someone who grew up watching Even Stevens and saw Shia LaBeouf’s career progress, this is one of my most anticipated films of the fall.

November 15th Ford v. Ferrari Starring: Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Catriona Balfe American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles attempt to build a revolutionary race car for Ford to battle Ferrari at the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1966. The premise of this movie reminds me a little bit of Ron Howard’s Rush which is a very underrated movie that should be watched if you haven’t seen it.

The Report Starring: Adam Driver, Jon Hamm, Tim Blake Nelson The Report is a political drama about an FBI agent’s investigation into the CIA’s torture practice on suspected terrorists after 9/11. Adam Driver stars in the film and he’s about to have a major fall movie season. The Report and Marriage Story (more on that one a little later) could easily get him awards buzz. In fact, I predict he’ll be nominated for an Oscar for one of those roles. Plus, he’ll be in Star Wars in December. You’ll be seeing a lot of him in the next few months.

Charlie’s Angels Starring: Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska, Elizabeth Banks Did we need another Charlie’s Angels reboot after the 2000’s movie trilogy and the ABC TV show? No. Yet there’s nothing Hollywood loves to more than to reboot a franchise we’ve just seen! This time around the angels are played by Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinski. Elizabeth Banks is directing and co-starring in the project.

November 22nd Frozen 2 Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf go on an adventure to an enchanted autumn forest to find the origin of Elsa’s powers and save their land. Just when everyone finally got Let it Go out of their heads, Disney is gonna hit us with another Frozen movie. I have to admit, I’m intrigued by the concept of the autumn forest. We need more movies that take place in the fall! It should be it’s own sub-genre.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Starring: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson He’s already played Walt Disney, Captain Phillips, and Sully so it’s fitting that Tom Hanks would play Mr. Rogers on the list of “America’s favorite people” up next. The movie is all about the friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. I cannot wait to see this. If you haven’t watched the documentary about Fred Rogers called Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, do it before this is released! It’s going to add so much depth to the cinematic experience.

November 27th Knives Out Starring: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette When a famous crime novelist is found dead on his estate, a detective is enlisted to investigate the family. Knives Out is directed by Rian Johnson (Looper, The Last Jedi) and packed with stars. It looks a bit like Bad Times at the El Royale meets the style of a Wes Anderson movie. I’m very interested in the central mystery at play here, but I can’t lie, Chris Evans is the reason I’ll go to the theater for this.

December 6th Marriage Story Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern This one is gonna be majorly sad, so let’s all take some time to prepare ourselves. A stage director and his actress wife struggle as their marriage falls apart and they proceed with a difficult coast-to-coast divorce. Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale, Frances Ha) directed the film which has already been receiving high praise from early festival screenings. This will definitely draw comparisons to Kramer vs. Kramer and Baumback’s The Squid and the Whale based on the trailer’s tone. The juxtaposition of the couple’s happy memories vs. the court scene at the end of the trailer is just heartbreaking. Marriage Story will be available to stream on Netflix December 6th.

December 13th A Hidden Life Starring: August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Matthias Schoenaerts Few movies have affected me the way Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life have. It’s certainly not a movie for everyone, but it works for me. The unconventional narrative, epic cinematography, and orchestral score are unforgettable. Critics from festival screenings have said that A Hidden Life is his best work since The Tree of Life meaning I’ll need to see it ASAP. The film is based on a true story about an Austrian farmer named Franz Jaggerstatter who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II. The trailer looks beautiful and poetic.

December 20th Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega The latest Star Wars trilogy will complete with The Rise of Skywalker. Taking place after The Last Jedi, the members left in the Resistance will face the First Order once again. The conflict between the Jedi and the Sith reaches a breaking point bringing the Skywalker saga to an end. I have so many questions about this movie! Was Kylo Ren actually lying to Rey about her parents in The Last Jedi? Could they really be important people? Will she turn to the dark side like this preview suggests? (I hope not). Why is Palpatine (the villain who died in Return of the Jedi) talking in all of the trailers? Thankfully, J.J. Abrams is returning as director for The Rise of Skywalker to answer all of my questions and hopefully deliver a great Star Wars film.

Jumanji: The Next Level Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was one of the biggest surprise box office hits in recent years, appealing to people of all age groups. It’s no surprise that The Next Level is being released so quickly after the massive success of Welcome to the Jungle. This time around, the group goes back into the game, but a few of their grandfather’s are sucked in as well. That means Kevin Hart will be playing Danny Glover and Dwayne Johnson will be portraying Danny DeVito.

Cats Starring: Francesca Hayward, Jason Derulo, Judi Dench, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift Forget Star Wars, forget A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, forget A Hidden Life. Disregard everything on this list. Cats is going to be the cinematic moment of 2019! That CGI? Legendary! The actors could have worn cat suits or make up like the stage play, but director Tom Hooper decided that this is the 21st century…time to try out a new technique called digital fur technology! So now this movie exists. It’s difficult to describe what this digital fur technology looks like, but it’s not cats. I will say the trailer was released with plenty of time before the movie gets to theaters so there’s hope that the finished product will look way better than the original trailer. If I’m being totally honest, I love anything musical, so I’m totally going to see this.

December 25th Little Women Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Laura Dern Greta Gerwig’s highly ancitipated second film is a remake of the beloved Louisa May Alcott novel, Little Women. You all know the story, but I’ll do a quick plot recap anyway. Little Women is told through the eyes of Jo March as she recounts her life growing up with her 3 sisters: Meg, Amy, and Beth. Each have their own distinct personalities, but have a very strong bond with each other. The film reunites Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet as Jo March and Laurie for a mini-Lady Bird reunion. It also contains a little Big Little Lies reunion with Meryl Streep and Laura Dern. What a great Christmas day release!

That concludes this Fall Movie Preview! As you can tell, there are tons of movies releasing this season in all genres. What are you most excited to see this fall?