#often i take 4-10 different shots of the same setup

[robo-dino-puppy]

ducks in the forbidden west

bird experts correct me, but I think this is a cinnamon teal duck? i'd never heard about them until i was trying to figure out what duck i was looking at for this post - they're quite beautiful!

[terramythos]

TerraMythos 2021 Reading Challenge - Book 9 of 26

Title: The Priory of the Orange Tree (2019) 

Author: Samantha Shannon

Genre/Tags: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Third-Person, Female Protagonists, LGBT Protagonists

Rating: 10/10

Date Began: 3/12/2021

Date Finished: 4/12/2021

1000 years ago, the world burned. Draconic creatures terrorized the land, led by a horrific evil known as the Nameless One. But then something happened that sent the monsters into a seemingly endless sleep, and the world has rebuilt in the centuries since.

But the Draconic evil begins to stir in its slumber, and the divided nations of the world have little chance to stop it. Eadaz is a mage from the Priory of the Orange Tree, sent to spy on the northern queendom of Inys. Legend has it that as long as the royal line continues, the world will be free from the Nameless One. While it's a long shot, Ead guards the young Queen Sabran closely to preserve the peace. However, as she and the queen grow closer to each other, Ead has to decide where her loyalties lie. Meanwhile, her close friend Loth is secretly sent into exile by the royal spymaster due to his controversial friendship with the queen. Supposedly sent as an ambassador to the newly Draconic kingdom of Yscalin, he soon finds himself out of his depth, entrusted with a deadly secret.

In the isolationist Eastern country of Seiiki, Tané wants nothing more than to become a dragon rider. The dragons of the East are old, wise, and revered as gods-- eternally opposed to the Draconic legions of the West. However, the night before the choosing ceremony that will decide her fate, she breaks isolation and discovers a young man from the West on the shore. Rather than report him to the authorities, she and her friend smuggle him to the island of Orisima, the only place Westerners are permitted. Niclays Roos, an old man exiled to Orisima by Queen Sabran, soon finds himself caught in the conflict. He believes if he finds an elixir for eternal life, he will finally be able to return home. When he's forced to shelter the forbidden Westerner, Niclays' entire way of life is upended-- but he is soon granted the opportunity to escape his exile.  

'My grandmother once said that when a wolf comes to the village, a shepherd looks first to her own flock. The wolf bloods his teeth on other sheep, and the shepherd knows it will one day come for hers, but she clings to the hope that she might be able to keep him out. Until the wolf is at her door.’

Full review, minor spoilers, and content warnings under the cut.

Content warnings for the book:  Some sexual content. Blood, gore, violence, traumatic injury, suicide, and death. Torture and execution. Miscarriage. Body horror (kinda). Drug use.

Clocking in at just over 800 pages, The Priory of the Orange Tree is a long, detailed story. I tend to label things Epic Fantasy when they have world-changing stakes. While Priory certainly fits that criteria, it's the first fantasy book I've read in a while that really does feel like an epic. It stars a huge cast of interesting characters from many walks of life, all of whom find themselves caught up in a world-spanning conflict. It captures the sense of a standalone, grand adventure that shorter fantasy novels of today don't typically reach.

With a book this long, it would be easy to ramble on forever about everything I liked. However, I'm going to try to keep it short and simple.

One of my favorite things about this story was the sheer depth of the world. Lots of people compare this to The Lord of the Rings not for its tropes, but the attention to detail regarding the countries, politics, history, religion, and so on. I'm inclined to agree with this assessment. The world felt alive and multi-dimensional. I could pinpoint many parallels to our own mythologies and histories-- particularly drawn from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. There's also a clear love of language in the story via its beautiful prose. I like to think I know English pretty well, but this book taught me quite a few new words! Might fuck around and call sunsets "rutilant" from now on.

I thought all four leads were interesting. Ead is kinda the "main" lead of the novel, although Tané overtakes her in the latter half. Everyone had different personalities and backstories, and I genuinely enjoyed all of their arcs. Niclays in particular would be an easy character to hate; of the four, he's the most selfish and does some real questionable shit. At the same time, it's hard not to sympathize with him. He's a sad, unjustly exiled elder who's lost the one man he cared about, and finds himself in a desperate situation. These types of characters are interesting to me; a glimpse of what anyone can become given the wrong circumstances and cruel treatment.

With stories like this, one of the most satisfying payoffs is how the different characters and stories come together. It was interesting to see how their paths converged and diverged over time, and ultimately how everything tied together in the end. I also appreciated the character relationships. I liked that Loth's close friendships with both Sabran and Ead were intimate yet platonic without some awkward love triangle.

From some story specifics... I'm a sucker for the bodyguard romance trope, and seeing it done with women in a mainstream novel gave me life. I thought the romance between Ead and Sabran was really sweet; I didn't see how it would work early on since Sabran was a little insufferable, but she had hidden depths (oh god, another weakness of mine). I also really liked the idea of traditional European and Asian dragons being diametrically opposed, and that being a core theme of the story. Intelligent and/or talking animals are another thing I adore in spec fic, so I dug characters like Aralaq. Kalyba's ongoing relevance and gradual exposition was also neat; I love minor world details that turn out super relevant later.

Also, the entire final battle/ending sequence was SO good. Really creative and action packed. Action scenes often blend together for me (and can be logistical nightmares) but Priory's climactic ending was just awesome. I don't want to spoil specifics, but it reminded me of many beloved epic battles in modern fantasy. Avatar the Last Airbender, How To Train Your Dragon, and Pirates of the Caribbean all came to mind. 

My main criticism with Priory is that often, the plot relied on convenient coincidence to get the characters out of a jam or otherwise advance the story. I can excuse a minor contrivance or two for the sake of a smooth story, and the scope of this book is big enough that it'd be hard to avoid. But some are nuts. For example, Loth gets rescued from certain death by a giant ichneumon while traveling through the mountains. We later learn the ichneumon is Aralaq, a friend of Ead's, and he just happened to be in the middle of nowhere, far from his home, and stumbled upon Loth. Loth, who ALSO happens to be Ead's best friend... which Aralaq presumably doesn't know?

Another is the MAJOR SPOILER regarding the rising jewel's location. I didn't hate the twist itself, but there was so little build up to it. I wish there were more early hints to justify it, because with setup it would be a pretty cool development. These things didn't ruin my enjoyment of the story, but the borderline deus ex machina (machinae? machinas?) did take me out of it a bit. It’s possible I missed stuff so I’ll give some benefit of the doubt. 

Overall, though, The Priory of the Orange Tree is a fun, world-spanning adventure. Like any long book, it's an investment to get into. However, if you're looking for a standalone, feminist fantasy epic, this is certainly a good place to start.  

[sunbellylou]

ask for writers !!

thank you @tomlinvelvetfics​ for tagging me! and thank you @soldouthaz for making this tag!

1. describe how you first started writing and when you first posted: i’ve been writing for years now, i started with het (ew!) 1d fics in portuguese back in 2011, it was actually those little imagines we used to write, don’t know if anyone remembers hehe. i posted them on a facebook page i was part of and i remember the first thingy i wrote was something with niall, but i really don’t remember any details (but was probably bad as heck since i was 11).

my first larry fic i probably wrote around 2012 when i found out the gay fanfics world haha, i don’t remember what it was or anything tbh, in my head i always wrote and posted gay fanfic.

my first fanfic in english was a little one shot (like 400 words honestly), it was a translation of a previous work i wrote portuguese. i posted it a year and a half ago and it’s called playground love (please don’t look).

2. which of your characters do you typically resonate most closely with? do you base any characters off of yourself?:  i usually write from harry’s pov because i love love l o v e describing louis and how angelic he is, so usually i tend to see louis as this ethereal ish character, cause it’s usually about harry falling in love with him. so whether i like it or no, i tend to be closer to harry’s characters in my fics, i always like to put a bit of myself on him and make the character real, you know?

3. where do you often find inspiration?: honestly? anything! i’ve written fics inspired by tumblr posts, tweets, pictures, songs, movies, things that happened in my real life, books. i literally wrote a pwp because i couldn’t stop thinking about leather pants (go read my robin hood au).

4. has quarantine helped or hindered your writing process?: in the beginning it was really helping me, i’d stay up till 4am everyday just writing like crazy, but then i got into the worst writer’s block and didn’t write shit for months. (and of course right when i started getting new ideas, i started working so i have no free time).

5. do you listen to music/noise while you write or do you prefer silence? always listen to music, all the time. i can’t do anything without music. mostly because my brain is a mess and music helps me concentrate. i usually go for some chill songs, some indie pop and stuff.

6. what is your biggest writing pet peeve in your writing or in general?: oh my god, when i’m writing and two or more paragraphs start with the same word, one after the other. it drives me crazy!!!! and sometimes i spend hours looking for ways to word differently the sentences, just so i don’t have two paragraphs starting with “the”.

also when my paragraphs are two (or one) lines long, i can’t! it has to have three or more lines.

7. describe your ideal writing setup: at the dining table, in the middle of the night, with some soft music playing in the background and some popcorn with me!

8. favorite time of day to write?: well, just said it hehe i like writing at night.

9. favorite genre to write + one you’d like to try writing in the future?: woah, that’s tough because i literally write any genres! i really love writing fantasy and horror stuff, but i feel like it’s not really well accepted in the fandom? (spec horror). and when people like it, they only read from bigger authors so i usually keep myself from writing those. aaand tbh i probably already wrote most of fic genres out there, so there isn’t much left to try.

10. do you struggle with writer’s block? how do you typically overcome it?  i’m writer’s block bitch and i do not know how to overcome her

11. what is the easiest part of your writing process and the most difficult? outlining tbh, i usually don’t (and it comes back to kick me in the ass). i always have too many ideas at the same time and can’t stick to one, so outlining and finding the right plot is really hard.

12. how do you come up with original characters? (if applicable): lately i haven’t really had the chance to come up with ocs, but when i wrote original books (not fanfics and stuff), i usually started with the gender and one outstanding personality trait and went from there.

13. what is your favorite and least favorite word?  i love the words ethereal and breeze, omg you’ll find them A LOT on my fics. and my least favorite word is growl.

14. what is one thing about your writing that you’re really proud of and one thing you hope to continue working at?: i think i describe the vibez in the scene really well, it’s my favorite thing to do. and i need to work more on building my sentences, because theyre always supermessy.

15. what work of yours has your favorite ‘verse/world building? how did you come up with it?:  definitely the fic i’m working on right now! i’m putting so much work on the world building since it’s a fantasy fic, so i’m planning every little detail about it. i hope other people like it too when they read it !!

16. what font and size do you write in? single spaced or double?: comic sans, 12pt, single spaced. don’t come at me.

17. what is a typo(s) you find yourself making consistently?: because english isn’t my first language, i always change like ‘th’ for ‘d’ (because it has a similar sound in portuguese), so catch me typing ‘de’ instead of ‘the’ or ‘dey’ instead of ‘they’.

18. (if applicable) do you separate fic writing from fandom?: i didn’t understand the question so i’m pretending i never read it hehe

19. what emotion is your favorite to write? which is the most difficult?: my favorite to write is probably,,, love/adoration, like harry looking at louis like he’s the whole world and thinking about how amazing he is? i love it.

and the most difficult is probably anger, i find it really hard to write like fights and stuff like that because usually i make the characters sound more sad than angry.

20. what is one thing you hope readers always take away from your works?: i never thought about that but,,, i hope they start finding joy in small things that happen in their day. that’s something i use a lot in my fics and i think it’s very important to bring it to real life. like enjoy that late night tea, showering in the morning, spending a summer day in the house, cleaning, etc.

21. what is the best and worst writing advice you’ve ever received?: i think the best advice is one i got from someone i no longer talk to, they told me this when i first started writing in english and it is to stop trying to write fancy or like native english speakers, because it’s much better to write simple sentences that i’m confident about than write sentences with words i barely know how to use.

and the worst advice is TO OUTLINE! i know i should maybe i dont know but leave me alone, i hate outlining bye

22. which one of your works would you most want to see turned into a film/television show?:  ok so,,, it’s a book i wrote like three years ago with original characters. it’s called great evil and i wrote it in portuguese. it’s full of violence and acid humor, about a very evil and sarcastic demon and an angry hunter. (one day i’ll translate that book and turn it into a larry fic)

23. do you write scenes chronologically or out of order?: chronologically. always

24. how do you handle criticism?: really bad. please be careful with what words you use. i’m already really hard on myself when it comes to my writing, so sometimes someone says something and (it might be dramatic but) i feel my world crumbling and i want to stop writing right away.

25. what is the advice you would give to someone who is looking to start writing?:  just,,, do it. there’s no right or wrong way to do it. there’s no such thing as too much or too little, bad or good plots. every idea is a good idea. write it for yourself, write something you like. go ahead and just do it. there’s always someone out there who will enjoy your work, no matter what.

26. what kind of feedback on your work always makes your day?: any comments make my day tbh, if you comment on my fic i’ll be forever grateful and will be smiling like a fool the whole day. honestly, even a “omg i loved it” comment can make my day.

27. which fic ‘verse of your own would you most like to exist in? which fic’s characters would you most like to befriend?: the one i’m writing 100%, please i want to live in a fantasy world. i wanna live in the water kingdom and have faerie louis as my king please.

and i’d like to befriend louis from my fic kiss me in your chevrolet, he’s a sweetheart and i must protecc.

28. what do you always enjoy getting asks about/wish people would ask about more?: anything! i rarely get asks so anything is good hehe

29. what has writing added to your life? how has it changed you?: it’s such a big part of my life, i spent all my teenage years writing and it really is what built my personality. it helped me being more creative with all aspects of my life and take life lightly, enjoy little things and moments. 

30. why do you write?: i just love having ideas and putting out there, playing with words and finding new ways to describe daily things.

boost yourself + tags!

1a. share the last sentence you wrote:

The path through the dense forest, covered in slippery rocks and burning trees is already difficult enough, but it becomes ten times worse when you’re being pestered by small, demonic creatures. 

2a. describe the wip you’re most excited about:

i’m honestly only working on one fic right now and i’m super duper excited about it

3a. share the piece of dialogue from one of your works you’re most proud of:

"I mean, I still don't plan on watching Star Wars, so…" 

The boy groans playfully, throwing his head back and Louis' eyes are suddenly really interested in the column of the guy's throat. 

"Americans really have no culture." He shoulders Louis slightly, warmth spreading through Louis' dainty shoulder and making him trip to the side lightly. With a faux outraged scoff, Louis waves a dismissing hand. 

“What do British people know about culture? All you do is drink tea and talk about the weather all day,” Louis teases with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “Also, Star Wars is American, just so you know.” He rolled his eyes playfully, feeling surprisingly comfortable in his presence.

Skater Boy sighs comically, shaking his head, his wavy locks falling gracefully on the sides of his face and Louis can’t stop thinking about how soft his hair must be. 

“You got me there.”

not posted but i kinda like it (i’m not really good with dialogues, so it was really hard to find one lmao)

4a. share the best first and last lines from your work(s): I will do only those that are already published:

best first lines are from a halloween fic i never finished: 

Louis’ blue eyes snap open. His heart pounds fast inside his rib cage, making something as easy as breathing almost impossible. Sweat drenches his body and he feels like drowning. He feels too awake and wary as his breathing calms down, as well as his grips on the sheets under him loosen.

best last lines are from my 2019 BLFF there’s more than one place to call home: 

Their life was utter chaos, and they were definitely complete opposites, and sometimes Harry wished Louis would just shut the hell up, but at the same time, Harry wouldn’t change a single thing about his life, because he had Louis, and that was all that mattered to him. 

5a. link the last fic you read: it was the devil's in the details by @raspberryoatss​

6a. link the last work you published: you could take a lick (but it’s too cold to bite me)

7a. link to your ao3 (if applicable): cinnamons

8a. someone that inspires you: louis hehe 

9a. a comfort fic/work that you’ve been grateful for this year: tbh i don’t read a lot of fics, but there’s this work a friend of mine wrote. it was in portuguese and she ended up deleting it but it’s amazing.

10a. other writers that you’d like to tag! @bottomlwt @raspberryoatss 

[comicteaparty]

March 23rd-March 29th, 2020 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from March 23rd, 2020 to March 29th, 2020.  The chat focused on Puppeteer by Eightfish.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Puppeteer by Eightfish~! (https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/puppeteer/list?title_no=290620)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace until March 29th, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Discussions are freeform, but we do offer discussion prompts in the pins for those who’d like to have them. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic! Whether you finish the comic or can only read a few pages, everyone is welcome to join and chat with us!

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 1

1. What did you like about the beginning of the comic?

2. What has been your favorite moment in the comic (so far)?

3. Who is your favorite character?

4. Which characters do like seeing interact the most?

5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it!

6. What is a theme you like that the comic explores?

7. What do you like about the comic’s story or overall related content?

8. Overall, what do you think the comic’s strengths are?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

eli [a winged tale]

Ooh exciting! I’ll try and get to this soon!

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Yes yes, I had started reading this last week, want to continue and get in on this convo!!

Joichi / Sarah

Oh I'll take a look at reading Puppeteer!

shadowhood

Ditto. Time for another art binge

eli [a winged tale]

1) I love the colours and lighting! As for the story, the banter really drew me in and when J offered freedom, that was my hook 2) My favourite moment was when J tore Eli out of his body! That was a very striking moment. 3) I really like J and Sam They’re both characters with a strong voice and motivation. 4) I enjoy the friendship chat between Sam and Eli. They really ground the whole college experience and the comic world for me. 5) Let me find it! 6) I think the themes of feeling lost in life or directionless after regimented high school are very relatable. It’s one thing to know where you wanna go and want to be but often we feel we’re just floating in reality. 7) I love the aesthetics! Very unique style yet also clear in storytelling! 8) I would say the strengths tie into the fast pace and great characters. I’m not sure where we’re headed in the comic but I’m sure we will get to know why beings like J and the Ocean lady exist and what roles Eli/Sam would play in the story great work Eightfish!

Love this shot! Great paneling!

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

The artwork is so beautiful!

shadowhood

Yeah, the flow of motion is amazing here that's really good gesture drawing

Feather J. Fern

I have to say I love the way you do the limited palette for the first few pages, it's really cool!

mathtans

Oh! From setup to where some f/f romance is implied. I shall read more. (Nice when the ships are verging on canon, if not there...)

Wonder if J is going to set things up such that Eli has to possess one of them.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Aaa, thank you all for the compliments about my art, eli, sssfrs, shadow, feather. I'm really trying to make this thing look good and I'm glad you guys like it.

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

It looks really good!!

eli [a winged tale]

Love it Eightfish! Can’t wait for more!

RebelVampire

What I liked about the beginning is just kind of how jarring it is (in a good way). You get thrown right into a semi-tense/suspicious interaction, and it really kind of sets that tone for the rest of the comic. Which is actually what I like about the story all together. There's always this kind of laid back atmosphere to it where you're never really sure if you should be concerned or not. So it's got this right beat where you aren't always screaming but also aren't ever able to fully relax cause it feels like danger is around the corner. Coincidentally, the beginning is also probably my favorite moment in the comic as well, just cause again, I really love the tone here. My favorite character at the moment is probably J cause I can't figure J out and would like to know more about J. Cause J is just like this chaotic entity who I can't decide is good or evil and it's a complicated mess that I love. As for favorite interactions, definitely Eli and J. I like they're kind of friends, kind or enemies, kind of maybe sort of abusive relationship, maybe kind of sort of cut from the same fabric. There's a lot of levels to their relationship, so I do like seeing where it's going to go.

What I like about the art is just the overall style combined with the color experimentation. I think this in of itself really helps with the tone I keep mentioning, because it'll go from normal colors to suddenly very jarring, dark contrasts. So again, there's always this hint that something just isn't ever right in the world. I also think these features are the comic's strength, since it's a very interesting style that draws the eye.

Lastly for today, themes. I really like that the comic kind of explores ambition vs. lack of ambition. As someone who is more similar to Eli and would be kind of happy to just be people watching mush sometimes, I really relate. However, there are deep questions about whether this is good, whether ambition is better or whether ambition can go too far. So it's kind of good to see this explored and just kind of show that inevitably, people are different and not everyone has the same sorts of drives (or drives at all).

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Oh my god, you have no idea how happy I am to read that. Everything you said was exactly what I was going for and this is very validating

(also, can we just appreciate Rebel for a moment. They take the time to write these in depth analyses of every comic here and I always enjoy reading them. Even if I knew rebel was going to be the only one in this book club I would still be jumping to sign up.) (Not that I don't appreciate everyone else, those comments were lovely as well haha. So interesting to to read eli's thoughts on the characters and what will happen next)(edited)

BriDanann

Also!! Eightfish!! Your comic is so freaking gorgeous! I absolutely love the color scheme and the surrealist feel the art gives off. It really feels like it's otherworldly, but also familiar. Kind of how old Noir movies felt! I've only read the beginning so far and I am loving the tone.

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 2

9. Will Eli actually be satisfied with his decision to just float around away from responsibility in the long term, or do you think that will change? Additionally, what do you think caused Eli to run away from life so much?

10. Do you think Sam will ever come to accept Eli’s decisions, and how will the situation change the two’s relationship? What will Eli teach Sam about trying to fix everything, and how will the two change each other through their interactions?

11. What do you think J ultimately wants in life, and what does that have to do with giving Eli powers? Why is Sam so convinced that J is a demon? In general, do you think Eli, Sam, and Lily can put a stop to J’s mayhem?

12. How do you interpret the story’s title in terms of its significance to the events of the comic? Also, what significance do you think it has towards the theme of beliefs and how beliefs go stronger the more people believe in them?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

mathtans

(This week is kinda kicking my ass but I have finished the read and will find time for some comments in the next day or two. Just putting that out there.)

Okay, just a couple quick thoughts in case anyone else wants to react to them... I think Eli felt like there wasn't much of anything left to him. Didn't seem like he had family checking up on him, and major events like breaking your arm are the sorts of times you learn who's rallying around you. Sam distancing herself was probably the last straw.

I wonder a bit whether Vanessa (the one massively possessed by J, only name dropped in the author notes if memory serves) had a similar path. Or whether she's just off the deep end (maybe she pushed J into the arm breaking on some level).

Also think that Lily's pleased to have someone who can finally do something about the visions she's presumably been having all her life (unless it's a puberty awakening thing), though it does seem like her romance with Sam goes deeper than that. I wonder about her romantic history (but then I wonder about that with all f/f ships). And could Sam be bi? Or is she not straight, and part of that is what pulled her from Eli?

As I say, couple quick thoughts.

RebelVampire

@mathtans Those are some good points about Eli's family. I have to say I did kind of where they were at, cause at the very least I do get the impression Eli doesn't feel like they can be relied on. But I do think isolation is playing a big role in Eli's decision making right now.

Do I think Eli will actually be satisfied with his decision? Yes and no. I kind of feel like Eli would be fine with it overall but that inevitably extenuating circumstances will ruin the whole thing. Otherwise I honestly think Eli might be content if people around would accept it. As for why Eli is causing to run away from life, probably social pressure and isolation. It's hard to deal with life if you have no one around you, and also hard to deal with society when you really just don't have ambitions, cause society is very much about ambition. As for Sam, I think this is also a yes and a no. I think Sam will blame herself for Eli's choices as she comes to understand them more, but at the same time learn to let Eli live as Eli sees fit. I do think Sam will learn a valuable lesson though that not everything she thinks is broken is, and even if it is, sometimes people have to learn for themselves. So I think it'll bring Eli and Sam closer.

As for what J wants, I think it's probably friends. I think J fell in with Eli because they're both just kind of lonely souls. And while Eli expresses this in further isolation, J acts out and does everything possible to get attention. I do think the group will put a stop to J's shenanigans though, but I'm also feeling that it won't be a defeating of the villain (but this may be wishful thinking cause I do sympathize with J). I kind of get the feeling the title is meant to reflect both literally that J is turning people into puppets but also the complicated relationship people have with the concept of control. Like Sam for example. Sam clearly wants to fix and "control" things to suit them to how she wants. Also, in the Eli/J relationship, there's a question of who controls who to a degree. As for its connection to belief, I think I'd argue the strong our beliefs are in something, the more those beliefs have control of our lives. And I think that's something we once again see with J a lot in that J is literally controlling people while people seem convinced they control themselves.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Oh Rebel, mathtans, your comments make me just want to just spoil the entire story and blurt out everything right here. It's been so good seeing that so much of my intent was coming through.

@mathtans Sam is indeed not straight. I wonder what made you see her as bisexual specifically?(edited)

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

I don’t think Sam had any malicious intent in keeping her distance from Eli, nor was it a case of “I’ve got a girlfriend now so I don’t need to talk to my other friends”. To me, Sam very much sees herself as the only one with the power to protect people, and because of that she feels it’s her duty to control what people get involved, where everyone goes, etc. Sam can keep this city under control, and thus she must. And, yeah, I agree with @RebelVampire that control is one of the main themes of the comic in general. Like J is constantly egging Eli on to control others, and one of their main points is that ordinary people often are looking to delegate control to someone else. And this current segment is the perfect lesson on how it doesn’t have to be one person in control - Eli and Sam can both be in control at once.(edited)

One thing I feel like should be mentioned though - the factor of Eli potentially being nb factoring into his decision? Like, when he first becomes a puppetmaster, one of the first things Eli says is “how come I still look like me” (i.e., rather than androgynous like J?), and one of the things Eli does to practice out shape shifting is try on dresses.

mathtans

@Eightfish (Puppeteer) Oh, nothing specifically made me see Sam as bisexual, but nothing made me see her as exclusively lesbian either. I've learned not to take that stuff for granted and wait for it be be spelled out (I'm also not the most observant though). In fact I have a f/f relationship in my writing where one of them is stated bisexual.

Also, good point snuffy on the androgynous aspect, never occurred to me there.

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 3

13. What are you most looking forward to seeing in regards to the comic?

14. Any final words of encouragement for the comic?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

mathtans

Okay, let's address some questions to the best of my abilities. ^.^ Regarding the start, as was mentioned, the muted colours and dark character seemed to fit the tone. I thought the cutaway was a time skip but it made sense when we came back later.

My favourite moment was actually when Sam and Lily spent the night in Eli's apartment. Aside from helping to confirm the f/f relation (a personal taste), it was subtle (like, just a friend wouldn't necessarily go along with things for that time) versus making out or something (which wouldn't fit the tone). And at the same time, it showed that Eli was separating himself from his past life, not even going back to check in... Sam honestly seems to be his only tie. (And I kinda wonder where his original body is, if it even exists?)

Favourite character is tough. Honestly, maybe Lily because she seems so innocent, having been drawn into things... and I wonder if J ever approached her to get to Sam? Or has the focus always been on Eli? It's not that I dislike the other characters, it's more that one of their flaws seems to be a lack of communication. The sort of thing that makes me sigh, even though it fits with what we've seen and is helping motivate the plot.

That said, yeah the Sam and Eli interactions are really good, right from the moment of "don't touch me" and Sam totally respected that as they got caught up. They obviously do care for each other in the friend way. (I wonder if Eli wanted more? Could that be why he shifted female, to be closer to Sam?)

I'm not good with art or themes. -.- The way the being in the harbour was drawn was good though from what I recall, helped to show the scope of the supernatural too. I guess a theme of belonging? Or friendship?

I haven't said much about J yet, but I think that is a something I like and a strength, the plotting... trying to guess the next move. And maybe they want to become as popular as the larger demon? Definitely drives the other characters forwards. And reminds me of Rebel's comment about ambition being a theme... makes sense in retrospect. (And yes, much appreciation to Rebel. ^.- )

9. I think Eli will eventually be satisfied, though I think he's realizing that he's becoming a bit of a pawn in a larger game, not having considered the scope of his transformation. And I already mentioned about his family. And Rebel made good points there too.

I think Sam's starting to accept the change, though not necessarily the reason for it (and I'm not sure she or we truly know what that is). What with her trusting him to possess. In fact, another reason why Eli might have done this was to be of more use to Sam, though that may not have been a conscious decision. The dynamic will be interesting.

Here I'm diverging from Rebel in that I think J wants to be recognized as a more important demon (though that's similar to having friends, it doesn't need to be). Maybe others have tried to take over beings like Sam without success? Or like Ocean Lady are so far above that they don't care? Maybe there's a clue somewhere in why Vanessa isn't enough for J lately.

That's a really interesting point in terms of the title... at first I figured it was the idea of Eli jumping into bodies. But of course, he's not really into that, and it's more J... who is perhaps puppeteering even beyond that, pulling the strings of people that aren't possessed. (There was mention of squid too, I wonder if the tentacles of a squid could be like the strings on a puppet?) Anyhue.

Will be interesting to see Lily's reaction to what's going on, as I have a suspicion that she'll show up... and perhaps blame herself for not being there when Eli was (even though Eli was brought in later). Or she could misinterpret the situation and think Eli's gone evil! Who knows. (How long has she been going out with Lily again?)

I think that's all for now. Best with it!

shadowhood

Yoooo sorry for the late response. Alright I'll try to answer the prompts as succinctly as I can. 1. The art style is very aesthetically pleasing! I love how you use mainly black against a lot of other bright colours like tan/light blue/gold; it gives it almost a Grecian vase vibe!

2. I have two actually!

The first one because it hit a really close hit to home. I loved seeing a real, down to earth conversation between friends and it felt...real. Seeing concerned friends talking about an abusive relationship and not....exploding is very refreshing.

The second one because I absolutely love that last panel, where J plays around with her words and follows through with a similar action. It felt like she was toying with Sam and it reminded me of the scene in Aladdin, where Jafar was toying with Aladdin with his words. Probably my favourite villain scene of J.

3. Funnily enough, I really like Sam. She's that one friend who's shown to be concerned for Eli, but she knows that she can't force him out of the abusive relationship. She respects his boundaries and is overall a good friend. That's rare and usually underappreciated in real life.

4. The interactions between Sam and Eli were the best for me, because they were very heartwarming and the care they show for each other resonates with me

5. The two moments I mentioned were my top favourites, actually!

6. The idea that you can't save everyone is one I really like. Sometimes you have to let the person you love make difficult and maybe even foolhardy decisions in life, but that's to let them grow up and mature.

7. Like I said earlier, it reminded me of Grecian vase paintings, which I love! Another thing I love about it is how free the gesture drawings are; drawings such as the hand drawings are testament to that

8. I think the strongest part of Puppeteer is its use of motion; my eye is always drawn to the line of action and it almost felt like a film at some parts. The story is heavily action oriented, which I like

shadowhood

9. Honestly, I don't know. Like @mathtans said, he doesn't seem to have family who check up on him, but he DOES have friends who do! Maybe someday he'll want to change, he'll see that he stayed stagnant while his friends keep on progressing in life. Either he'll go deeper into his isolation or he ultimately decides that this isn't for him. 10. I think it's a sad case where she's going to have to learn to let Eli make his mistakes and grow up. If she's constantly there to fix or solve everything for him, both characters suffer in that no one will learn everything. But hopefully, like other people have said, it brings them closer. 11. From what she's said, I think she wants control and power. But if you want a more indepth answer, I think she wants absolute control and worship from individuals. She wants to be put on a pedestal (wanting to be higher than other people?) and she wants that rush of feeling, that feeling of being dedicated to. But seeing @RebelVampire 's answer, maybe it's a twisted form of trying to keep people from leaving her, similar to how abusers try to keep their victims close. Heck, she could even develop a form of Lima syndrome and sympathize with the victim. I think Sam's and co. can put a stop to it, but ultimately, it's up to ELI himself to do so. 12. I agree with @RebelVampire on this one; Puppeteer can be a reference to how much we let others and their beliefs control us, and how the characters each covet control in some shape or form. Maybe Eli feels like he's lost control of his life and is trying to escape responsibility in a desperate effort to regain it?

13. I'm really looking forward to how this whole Eli/J relationship will affect Eli and his relationship with his friends. I'm also wondering what J's character development would be, if any; would she start sympathizing more with Eli? Learn something new from Eli? Or even become increasingly antagonistic towards Eli? 14. @Eightfish (Puppeteer) I really look forward to reading more from your webcomic, your art and conversation exchanges between your characters are top notch! Keep up the good work

RebelVampire

What I'm most looking forward to in regards to the comic is finding out more about J I think. I'm interested to learn more about the driving force behind J's actions and how those might cause the characters to rethink what J is. As for final words, I really just still enjoyed the atmosphere. So few comics can nail it, but this one really managed to capture that feeling of dread that really keeps you reading. So I can wait to see that be used more throughout the comic.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Thanks @mathtans , @shadowhood , @snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights) for the recent long comments you've posted! It was wonderful reading what you thought about character motivations and themes. And I'm glad so many people said they were looking forward to learning more about J, because that's what I'm most looking forward to writing as well.

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Puppeteer this week! Please also give a special thank you to Eightfish for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Puppeteer, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/puppeteer/list?title_no=290620

Eightfish’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/eightfish

[brendanmoviedate]

Yer fond of me lobster ain’t ye?

Another year, another broken promise that I’d write more often. I’m not going to fool myself going forward and expect I’ll be able to keep up with reviewing every movie I see. However, I’ll continue to write my year-end movie review and perhaps a couple here and there when I feel inspired. 

Looking back to last year’s post, I wouldn’t make too many changes, though I would certainly move Into the Spider-verse slightly higher up. I would also consider adding Upgrade to the list for how brazen it is.

Most of the films I called out as ones to watch for 2019 ended up being either on my list or in the composite image, which goes to show that it’s worth getting excited for new films more often than not.

Vancouver being the way that it is, sometimes we don’t get timely releases of films when other cities do. As a result, I haven’t had a chance to see 1917 and Uncut Gems yet. The latter of which I’ve been dying to see for months and would probably feature on this list. 

Here’s the 10 best films I’ve seen from 2019:

10. John Wick: Chapter 3: Parabellum

Whereas John Wick: Chapter 2 was the perfect escalation of its pared down predecessor, Chapter 3 is merely an excellent continuation of the newly minted franchise. However, while not bringing anything entirely new to the world of John Wick, it is still an intensely entertaining film. The first 20 minutes is some of the best fight choreography in the series to date and enough to secure a spot on this list.

9. Long Day’s Journey into Night

From director Bi Gan, Long Day’s Journey into Night is a noirish drama about a man (Huang Jue) returning to his hometown following the death of his father to track down his lost love (Tang Wei). The film is a slow burn that jumps between past and present before descending into a surreal 60 minute single take shot filmed in 3D. Regretfully, the only screening I could attend was entirely 2D, but nonetheless, the sequence was still enthralling. This is the type of film that proves that spectacle doesn’t necessarily need to be tied to tentpole movies.

8.  Booksmart

Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut suggests she has an effortless understanding of comedy. Written by a quartet of female writers, Booksmart feels like Superbad for a new generation (I can’t believe that film came out 12 years ago). Interestingly, Jonah Hill’s sister, Beanie Feldstein stars, alongside Kaitlyn Dever (daughter of the guy that voiced Barney the Purple Dinosaur). While it would be easy to say it’s “the female Superbad,” Booksmart is in fact much more than that. Replacing the misfits trying to get laid story with one about a pair of overachievers realizing almost too late that there’s more to life than good grades lets the film be looser and allows the comedy to happen more naturally. 

7. Midsommar

Ari Aster’s follow-up to 2018′s Hereditary began filming almost immediately after wrapping post-production on his previous film. As a result, Midsommar has that extra layer of a director exhausting himself by putting everything on the screen. Midsommar is a much more mature work than Hereditary and one that took a while to grow on me. My initial reaction was less enthusiastic than it is now, but it’s one of the films from 2019 that has stuck with me the most. I imagine a second watch or the extended director’s cut might raise my appreciation of it even more. 

Florence Pugh gives a knockout performance that when combined with her roles in Little Women and last year’s Little Drummer Girl prove that she’ll be a star in no time.

6. Knives Out

Rian Johnson’s first post-Star Wars film sees him reinvigorated and working with a bigger name cast than he has in the past. Essentially a whodunnit along the lines of Agatha Christie, Knives Out follows Daniel Craig’s southern-fried detective Benoit Blanc as he investigates the murder of a wealthy publisher (Christopher Plummer). In addition to playing with a few plot twists, Johnson includes a couple of structure twists as well that turn the film on its head. 

In addition to Craig’s hammy performance, other standouts include Ana de Armas and Chris Evans as the publisher’s caregiver and grandson, respectively. 

Johnson has hinted at the possibility of more Benoit Blanc mysteries, and as long as Daniel Craig is onboard, I’ll gladly watch them.

5. The Lighthouse

In Robert Eggers’ followup to The Witch, Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson play a pair of lighthouse keepers in isolation. As would be expected, The Lighthouse is a paranoia-fuelled chamber piece, with Dafoe’s gruff experienced lighthouse keeper getting on the nerves of the younger Pattinson. And while this setup allows the two leads a chance to really dig into the 19th century dialects, the film takes the occasional departure into the eldritch for a very unsettling film. 

As with Black Philip in The Witch, there’s a standout animal character in The Lighthouse - fittingly, a seagull.

4. Once Upon a Time ...in Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino’s presumably penultimate film is perhaps his most mature work, ruminating on the idea of legacy and the film industry as a whole. Once Upon a Time ...in Hollywood is almost a Tarantino hangout movie reminiscent of parts of Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction. A lot of time is spent on scenes that don’t necessarily lead to the film’s climax, but allow the characters room to breathe and feel real. Other than the historical event hinted at throughout the movie, the film doesn’t seem to have a particular direction, which allows you to live in the lives of these characters more than if it was purely plot driven.

The main cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margo Robbie is great, but it’s Pitt who puts in a career best performance. There’s a quietness and a sadness to his character that brings some added depth to an otherwise bold cast.

3. Ad Astra

Brad Pitt’s other great performance this year is in James Gray’s Ad Astra. Having seen Gray’s The Lost City of Z and purposefully avoiding trailers and reviews, my expectation for this film was a reflective voyage centred around the ideas of obsession, loss, and family. All of these ideas were present in Ad Astra, but the real surprise was how seamlessly a space opera was added into the story. I never thought I’d see a lunar shuttle chase, but I’m glad I did.

The amount of casual sci-fi world building in the film is staggering, with entire premises treated as banal. We get to see Pitt’s Clifford McBride travel from Earth to the Moon mundanely on a commercial flight. Most films would take the opportunity to spoon feed to the audience why this is odd, but Ad Astra treats it as normal as the characters do, making it all the more fascinating.

2. The Farewell

Starring Awkwafina, who has quickly shot to stardom after featuring in Crazy Rich Asians, The Farewell gives the actress the chance to stretch her dramatic muscles playing Billi, who returns to China to visit with her grandmother who has cancer. Billi’s family insists on keeping the grandmother’s illness a secret from her so she can live out her life in happiness, while Billi struggles with the morals of lying to her grandmother. This premise allows for not only the comedy of misunderstanding, a staple in comedy, but also emotional tension and the devastation of preparing to send off a loved one. 

The comedy-drama balance is handled expertly by director Lulu Wang, making The Farewell the movie I both cried at and laughed at the most this year.

1. Parasite

Had you told me a couple of months ago that my picking Parasite as the best movie of the year could be considered a safe choice, I would have scoffed. Yet here we are, and Parasite has widely been hailed as the best film of the year. I suppose in hindsight it’s not hard to see why. It’s both a crowd-pleasing film and a film that’s deeply disturbing and thrilling.

After having seen Bong Joon-ho’s last five movies, one would be forgiven for expecting a linearity in Parasite. Most of his films tend to have a point A to point B element with an expected (though often subverted) outcome. Heck, Snowpiercer is about a group of people moving from the back of the train to the front, one car at a time. Yet Parasite is different. The film sets up a premise you only find out about as it happens and is quickly overturned once you’re comfortable with it.

I saw this movie the same day I saw Joker and the difference in how the subject matter of class is treated is stark. Whereas Joker wanted to go all dark and Taxi Driver with the theme, Parasite had fun with it and let the elements of drama, comedy, and horror slide along the theme of class.

Like Bong’s Memories of Murder, Parasite will be one of those films I endlessly revisit.

Honourable Mentions

Films that almost cracked the Top 10 that I wanted to shout out here are Us and Doctor Sleep for being really solid, exciting, horror-thrillers. As well as The Irishman for being a classic Scorcese film that gives De Niro and Pacino ample time to with each other. Finally, I wanted to applaud Avengers: Endgame for not only managing to pull off such an ambitious finale, but to make it so goddamned fun.

2020

This year I’m looking forward to new blockbusters from two of my favourite directors, Christoper Nolan and Denis Villeneuve - Tenet and Dune, respectively. 

Despite the stumble with Spectre, I’m extremely excited for Daniel Craig’s last outing as Bond with No Time to Die, by auteur Cary Fukunaga. I can’t wait to see how his style meshes with the Bond template. 

Also of great interest are the new films from David Fincher and Edgar Wright - Mank and Last Night in Soho.

[kastle09]

4 Reasons Players Stagnate (Part 1 of 2)

I feel like I need to preface this by saying, I'm about to say a lot of stuff with the caveat of “In general”. These aren't the only reasons people plateau and I can imagine someone reading this and going “Well I don't do any of these things and I’m still stuck” Which maybe true (or you are lying to yourself), these are just the 4 things I hear the most.

“What’s the secret to beating this guy? What’s the trick to winning?”

Have you ever watched those commercials that are screened at 2AM trying to convince you you have been doing it wrong all your life but don’t worry with this “One simple trick” you can have it all fixed.

I see this often happen especially when players find some trick or gimmick that will land them a lot of wins, and then all of a sudden it will stop working and they won't really understand why. So they will try some other trick, and eventually that stops working. 

The problem is your brain is trying to solve problems by going “Ah, I need to find the right trick, and then ill be good”. That the only difference between you and a pro is you are missing some key insight that they know and you don't yet and that is what’s causing the skill difference.

You can imagine this happening in really obvious places, for example the Ken player relying on the hk.tatsu into throw/ex.dp but it can happen more subtle as well. But the most evident example is when players feel they need a secondary. “My main just loses in this match up, I can't do anything. I need to find someone that wins this match up”

I remember talking with Travis Styles (arguably the best player in Australia) on commentary and he talked about players being too quick to try and solve solutions by totally switching characters for a match up. 

There maybe a time you will need to do that, but only after you have exhausted every other option first. Travis talked about when trying to improve with Balrog for example, he would watch players like Brian F and Smug and they do things that he never would have thought about before and would work on implementing them as tools he can use to face new problems. 

These players have clearly understood something he hasn't yet so there is a clear process to advance and improve, adding an understanding to help him come up with new solutions against different players. If they can do it, and they are able to figure it out, I can do it too.

And that is the clearest difference. Instead of thinking in terms of “Knowing secrets = Skill” think “Process = Skill”. Think building an understanding over time, with process it can allow you to make decisions to problems, even if they are problems you may never have faced before but its okay because you have an understanding of the tools, that can allow you to come up with solutions on the fly or course correct based on what you see working and what doesn't.

“I can't win until I land the stuff <insert player here> does, that’s why they wins games”

There is a quote from John Wooden (revered college basketball coach)and he said: When you see a successful individual, a champion, a “winner,” you can be very sure that you are looking at an individual who pays great attention to the perfection of minor details

The term “fundamentals” can get lost a little bit sometimes especially when you are first learning. And its especially difficult because when you watch the pro players your first thoughts turn to the things that look flashy and brilliant, and its natural you want to emulate those things. But notice that in that quote Wooden does not talk about the players who have the most skill/talent, its not about the players who can pull off the most amazing plays. He talks of the people that are just so fundamental sound. Bringing absolute perfection to the small details, the things that most people look at once, read up once, land it once and immediately close that book because they think “I've learned that, I don’t have to do it any more, I'm past that level”.

One of the most common scenarios I’ve come across when coaching is someone will learn some very complex but of tech like a kara demon setup a v-trigger mixup, a 550 high damage combo, and they can execute it perfectly. But they can't Anti air, they can't punish a tatsu on block. They know the combo, I know they know the combo because when they are aggressive jumping in they can hit it every time.

Even if you just ignore for a moment the reasons to be fundamentally sound. Just simply consider this. How often does the situation of Anti Airing come up versus the situation to land a kara demon for example. If you are good at Anti airing, you are good at an aspect that is useful and applicable in 25-40% of the time (conservative estimate). If you are good at a kara demon, you are good in an aspect that only comes around maybe 1-2% of the time. If you are putting the same number of hours into getting good at one or the other, you tell me what’s more worthwhile.

Mastering fundamentals is boring frankly. It is a grinding mentality because its not just that you have to learn them, or you can't form a base to move forward without having them, its also the fact that they require that they be maintained, that they are constantly being reassessed and looked after.

Think about the best players in the world in their given sport, do you think a player like Ronaldo is constantly practicing his dribbling, or Lebron James is constantly practicing his jump shot. The things that you would get told day 1 when learning the sport for the first time, they are still being drilled and practiced even when you do get to that professional level. It shouldn't be any different for fighting games either.

What I think this topic shows more then anything else is this kind of practice lets you have the ability to be able to hit the easy stuff not 6/10 times but 9/10 or 10/10. This is what will drive your consistency. If you hear people that say “this guy is a great player, but he can be inconsistent” this is the reasoning. This is training the ability to let you win games when you aren't at 100% when you aren't playing at your best. The flashy plays, the complex setup is what will win you games, the fundamentals is what wins you tournaments.

Holy crap these are taking longer then I thought, wait up for part two when I talk about the player that feel they “deserved to win” and the players decision making boil down to “I do it because it works”.

[biancasiercke]

Storyboard portfolio - what should I put in my story portfolio?

I've recently gotten this question a lot and thought I might take some time to go over what you might put into a story portfolio.

Storyboarding is not a job that a lot of people talk about, so the requirements of what goes into a portfolio are a bit more obscure. I also spent some time talking to my supervisor, who worked on the Incredibles, to give you guys some of his insights as well.

Always, before giving you guys any information, I always like to put a disclaimer that my input is only an opinion. Please don't feel bad if you disagree with anything I say, I'm just trying to share knowledge from my experience. Even though I'm working in animation, I think we are all students when it comes to art and we can always keep learning. So don't hesitate to get as much input as possible when it comes to your work and your portfolio and take what you can learn from everyone :)

So lets get started. What kind of drawings should you put into your portfolio? Even though storyboarding traditionally is not about pretty drawings, storyartists nowadays should show strong drawing skills. As a storyboard artist you don't really get to render your work. Instead you mainly draw with lines. You often have to work fast and your drawings don't have to be clean, but they have to communicate clearly. That is the most important thing!  Therefore any drawings that can showcase the above skills would be great.

Some examples would be full body cafe sketches or lifedrawings that showcase your drawing skills. You could put a page of hands and a page of feet to emphasise that you know how to draw both. Any animal drawings that you might have could add to your portfolio. Especially if you know that the studio you’re applying to has a project coming up that is using animals. It would be great if your drawings could show weight, movement and communicate some story or emotion. A child playing in a water fountain; a mother carrying a million bags on her way home, while she is on the phone with the babysitter; two business men out for coffee, one is a confident man that has been at the job for 20 years, the other an upstart waiting to impress. The possibilities of what you might see are endless :)

But besides your drawing skills you will also want to show your storytelling skills.

For a storyboard artists there are often 2 paths, feature storyboarding and TV storyboarding. I know most people want to get into feature animation, but it's always great to mention not to discount TV animation as well. For example in feature animation, weather or not you are an animator or a storyboard artist you will potentially have to redo your work again.....and again......and again.....and again. You're not worse or better because you can or cannot do this, it's just a reality that this is not for everyone. One of my coworkers had to redo a storyboard sequence in a feature film about 20 times. The sequence kept changing again and again....and again. Now he LOVES his job, but by the end, he just couldn't look at it anymore. It's good to note that this doesn't happen all the time, but you have to be ok with throwing out your work, and starting over again. In TV animation you don't have this issue as much. When you do a TV-storyboard the deadlines are often times very tight. This means that you get to do the storyboard once and maybe if there is time, one set of revisions. The great thing about TV storyboarding is that you get to do a lot of work in a short amount of time. This practice and repetition really lets you experiment and lets you make mistakes. You get to learn a lot in a short amount of time. Of course TV Storyboarding also has positives and negatives as well. For example you might not get to delve as deeply into characters emotions in TV Storyboarding. Sometimes you can't do the kind of camera work that features might be able to do, or you might be limited to the amount of shots your allowed to have in your storyboard.

I just wanted to mention this, because I don't think you should ever feel the need to justify yourself if you wanted to work in either TV or in Feature animation. Both are different and both have things that are great about them. :)

It's also good to note that you can learn so much about storyboarding in TV animation, so if you don't get into feature storyboarding right away don't worry! You'll learn a lot in every job you do and it will help you in the next job  ^^. So let's go over what recruiters would look for in a Feature storyboard. Again, the more input you can get on this the better :).

Firstly about Presentation. One thing to consider is the actual screen dimension. Feature Films use a ratio of 2.35 : 1 (also known as Anamorphic Wide-screen). If you’re thinking of practicing a storyboard for a feature film it could be good to use this ratio, to show that you’re able to create an appealing composition for a wide screen film. For television the ratio is usually 4:3. I haven’t been able to find any templates online, but if I do I’ll update this post and will post a link here. Another thing to consider for presentation is how to format your page. There are 2 ways that you can present your storyboard. One is "a single sheet with 3 panels next to each other", the other is to create "one image per page".

For FEATURE STORYBOARDS, it is better to create a PDF that has one image per page. As the recruiter or the head of story will flip through the images, they will truly be able to feel the story and the emotions that your trying to tell, because each image flips to another image just like animation. Toby Shelton's blog has lots of examples of this. If you don't have time to search through his blog, this is a great example: https://tobyshelton.blogspot.ca/2012/02/pig-who-cried-werewolf-2010.html

As you can see you can really feel the movement of the characters and their emotions. That is your main job as a feature board artist.....to convey emotion. Of course you need to know about composition and about shot choices and how to cut between shots, but all those things should be natural once your storyboarding (if they're not yet, don't worry, that will come :)). What a feature storyboard should really show is character and emotion. What is a character feeling, why are they feeling this way, how does that effect the situation, how does it effect the other characters? Disney in particular has said that they're looking for character moments from their storyboard applicants. You don't need to do something big, or you don't even need to do a full story. It's ok just to choose a moment in a characters life and to truly make us feel what the character is going through. You do want to have a beginning and an end to the sequence that you're doing, but it doesn't have to be something epic.

If however you're creativity leans more towards doing action, that is great too. But even in action, your storyboard should be character based. My supervisor, who boarded on "The Incredibles" said that when he looks at an action storyboard he can tell right away if he would or would not hire that person. If the action is just about action, he would not be interested to hire the person. But if the action is motivated and routed in true character moments and motivation, then he would be interested.

Lastly, most Feature storyboards are done in Photoshop, or proprietary software that studios provide.

Now for TV STORYBOARDING. If you can get your hands on Storyboard Pro, that would be very helpful. This is what TV productions currently use to create their storyboards. Also within Storyboard pro, there is a setup which will automatically organize your boards in 3 panels per page. This is how you want to present a TV- Storyboard. The Storyboard pro setup also has action notes and dialogue boxes that you can fill out. Presenting your board this way, will show the studio that you can be put directly into production.

Another difference between Feature storyboarding and TV storyboarding is in the amount of drawings you might do to convey an action. In Feature storyboarding  you might flush out an action to show what kind of acting the characters are doing and you might do some really subtle animation/acting to show how slowly emotions are unfurling and what the characters are feeling. All of these drawings are made so that once the editor creates an animatic (a storyboard that is timed and has dialogue and sometimes music),  that you can really feel the pacing and emotions that are happening. A TV storyboard will still have a lot of drawings, but often less acting then a feature board might have. Instead they will communicate movement with red arrows. For example, they will use red arrows to indicate the direction a character might walk, or if a character will exit a screen.

I did a quick search and found this storyboard test that someone did for Star and the Forces of Evil. You'll be able to see how the storyboard artist used arrows and how the dialogue is displayed. (Sorry they took these boards down) https://www.scribd.com/document/283152280/Star-vs-the-Forces-of-Evil-Storyboard-Test I did find this link which is a pilot episode for Monsters Abroad which was not picked up. The whole thing is in storyboard format. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGuJL0KUDQM A TV Storyboard artist also has to consider if he is storyboarding for a 2D show or a 3D show. In a 2D show there might be a limit to the amount of backgrounds that they can have in the entire show. So you might choose to reuse some angles. For example you could have a far away shot, and then later in the episode cut to a closer version of the same angle. A 3D show might not have to worry about the amount of backgrounds they can use as much.

Both 3D TV animation and 2D TV animation have to be conscious of how many characters you have in a shot. They call this "character count". So you might be told that you can only have twenty 10 character shots in your storyboard. (I'm just using random numbers here)

Also when you are applying to a studio -> Always know who you are applying to and cater your portfolio to each individual studio. For example, Sony does not have the same sense of humor as Disney, nor does Bluesky. Also know if you're applying to a studio that has a 3D shows or 2D show. If you have time try to cater what you do to the place that you're applying to.

My supervisor told me that "You only need one great board to get a job, you don't need more." He personally makes the interns at our studio do one of two assignments. They're called 1) The chase 2) The waiting room

ad1) The chase can be anything. You get to create the scenario and the characters involved. Is it about a husband that is chasing after his wife who got on the bus angry, trying to apologize for their fight this morning. Whatever you do, this assignment is not only about the chase. That is only a small part of the assignment. Probably the smallest. What the assignment is really about, is character. How are the characters interacting, what are the characters feeling, what are they going through. You want the choices of the characters to be believable and routed in their personalities. Also every storyboard should be about evoking an emotion. What emotion am I trying to make the audience feel, what emotion am I communicating.

ad2) The waiting room My supervisor mentioned that he does not really love this assignment. But let me explain the scenario. This story is about two or more people in a room. You get to choose the characters and what they are doing. Because you are limited to one room, this assignment shows your creativity in staging and in storytelling. A good film example of this assignment is the 1957 version of 12 Angry Men My supervisor did say however, that the only successful waiting room assignments that he's seen went way above the waiting room creatively. Unfortunately he did not elaborate so I'm a bit in the dark for this as well lol.

A few more notes that my supervisor gave were: - good comedy always sells. - Even though boarding is not about drawing, pretty drawings impress. As does good compositions. People will stop to look at pretty pictures.

I also asked him if you might be able to use an existing scripts to help you if you don't have a story. He said, yes you can totally do that. He recommended that, if this board is meant to go into your portfolio, rather then just to be a study piece that you should stay away from animated film. More then likely if you re-board an animated film, your work will simply not be as good as the version of the film. But if you take something like the life action GI - Joe, if you think you can do that better, then go for it. You might also be able to use the script as a launching point to get yourself an idea. These are two websites where you can find scripts. http://www.imsdb.com/ http://www.script-o-rama.com/snazzy/table.html

Also note that, if you are a student and your school lets you make a film, your film doesn't have to be your portfolio. Sometimes you're trying to accomplish so much with your film that it ends up not being the best piece to represent yourself. You might have a small personal project that you've done on your own time that feels really authentic that represents your skills better.

Ok that's all the information I could think of for now.

Please let me know if you guys have any more questions. There is so much to go over with storyboarding, it's hard to know where to begin and where to end :) Wishing you guys all the best Bianca

[twdmusicboxmystery]

The Alone Headstone Revisited

Good morning and happy Saturday! Let's discuss the Alone dates. As you all know, in the graveyard in Alone, there were two dates on the gravestone that corresponded with the air dates of episode 8x04 (November 12) and 8x08 (December 10).

Now, we thought those meant Beth would return either in 8x04 or 8x08. She didn’t, but we can't get away from the fact that the headstone dates coincided with those episodes’ air dates. The second one represented the death of a major, MAJOR character (Carl) and a MAJOR departure from the comic books. No way that’s a coincidence And we do still believe we’ll see Beth in 8b. So we obviously interpreted them wrong, but that doesn't mean that the don't mean anything.

After the MSF aired, my group discussed a lot of different ideas for what the dates could mean. One of the big things we discussed was the fact that they represent a span. The birth and death date on a grave stone always represents the span of a person's life, right? So maybe these dates represented something that happened between episodes 8x04 and 8x08. The question is what is it?

So my first thought was that the dates represented a span of events from 8x04 to 8x08 that culminated in Carl’s death and ushered Beth in.

Think of it this way. Everything we saw in Alone seemed to be about death in the conventional way. There was the graveyard, the headstone, the death date. Later we even had Daryl in a coffin. 

So perhaps the dates on the headstone show endpoint for all of Bethyl's trials and specifically their separation. I said HERE that Daryl lying in the coffin foreshadowed his emotional death, which he went through when he lost Beth (her apparent physical death). So we had a death date on the head stone and a lot of foreshadowing of various deaths for both of them.

I’ve also said before that all of S4 was one great big foreshadow of what was to come. (X, X, X). We had Beth and Daryl in 4x12 going through a symbolic hell. The writers told us that the golf club represented the nine circles of hell.

So they had all these trials, after which Beth proclaimed “We made it.” Then we had them hash out their differences by fighting, and when they sort of found their own little paradise in 4x13. It's even been said that there's some Adam and Eve symbolism going on there. The funeral home, where Daryl wanted to stop and make a home for them, represented their paradise. 

When Beth was taken, they left that paradise and were separated from each other. That would symbolize getting kicked out of the garden. In the Bible it was separation from God, but this is more separation from each other and their happiness.

So I think the two S4 episodes together were a big foreshadow for what was to come. Her being taken was a foreshadow of their separation. Not just of her being taken to Grady but after she was shot and him thinking her dead and being without her for so many seasons.

So you can look at it as the Alone dates showing the last sequence of events that would lead to the end of their separation. The episodes between those dates, which is November 12th to December 10 are the last things that have to happen before the separation ends. Then later in the same episode where we see the dates, Beth is taken and the separation begins.

Even though Beth and Daryl haven’t been together, we know their arcs were pretty much identical. They went to the same stuff, just separately. The graveyard probably gave us the literal, calendar end dates of their trials and separation.

So even though we didn't understand all of this (how could we) it’s actually pretty on-the-nose. The grave stone dates = end dates of the very long, harsh, frustrating trial for them and the next thing we see is the beginning of it when Beth is taken.

It even strikes me as an inverted arc as compared with Maggie and Glenn's. Glaggie were separated in S4. Maggie had to learn and accept that Glenn might be dead, and she’d have to go on without him. She did, but she got her happy ending, because they reunited. But it was just beginning their final happiness arc together.

Conversely, Beth and Daryl came together in S4 for the first time and discover their happiness. It was actually the beginning of long separation/time of unhappiness, with a fragment of time together (in Coda) as opposed to Maggie and Glenn, who’ve been mostly together, with only small fragments of time apart (i.e. 4B).

So this is what I was thinking anyway. Part of the reason I wanted to do a re-watch of 8A was to see if I could see a common thread between episodes 4 and 8 that might correspond with the Alone dates. Honestly, I didn't find much that was compelling. I do think that once we get the rest of the season, it will be more obvious.

About the only thing I can come up with is that ep 4 was where things really started happening that are going to affect the plot long term. Eps 1-3 of 8A, are full of foreshadows and symbolism and setups. The only thing really happening in the plot is the group setting up the plan to take down Negan. We know now that that plan basically fails, so it's not going to make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things.

Episode 4: Shiva dies and Ezekiel has a total breakdown. That's going to affect the plot heading into 8b, because it leads directly to Ezekiel being captured by the saviors and pushes Carol into leadership of Hilltop.

Episode 5: We have all the stuff with Father Gabriel, especially him trying to get the doctor out, which I think will come and play in a big way in 8b.

Episode 6: Carl is bitten. Obviously major implications. And Siddiq will most likely figure in the plot moving forward.

Episode 7: Eugene helps FG and the doctor escape the sanctuary. Don’t know what it means for Eugene (maybe a lot) but there’s the FG/Doctor thing again. and the fact that they escaped the Sanctuary effectively ruined Rick’s plan and led to the bombing of Alexandria.

Episode 8: Carl’s bite revealed. Again, obviously huge implications.

So it's hard to pinpoint exactly what the Alone dates were about. Again, Carl’s bite = a huge shift in the show. I think the reason Beth and Daryl were there looking at those dates is because it will signify the end of their separation, which started in the episode where they first saw the dates (4x13, Alone), and it will also signify the last thing that has to happen before Beth appears.

This is why I think there's a good chance we may see her in 8x09. I won’t hold my breath, as I think it's sort of a 50/50 shot. But I do think that there's a good chance we may see her in the next episode. If the dates represent a sort of final arc, culminating in Carl’s death, it’s odd to me that it would point to episode 8, where he doesn’t actually die, instead of episode 9, where he most likely will. So what happens in 8x09 will be pivotal one way or the other. If we don't see Beth then, hopefully it will be soon after.

Let me also just point out that this is a really good example of why TD is often wrong about when things are going to happen. These dates, when it comes to the plot of the show were really more about Carl than they were about Beth. They’re about her in an indirect way because they tell us when she's about to reappear. But the episodes they point to didn't have her in them or have a whole lot to do with her. So this is extremely subtle foreshadowing. Like Gimple, how the hell was anybody supposed to figure that out? I guess we weren’t. 

So I'm sure I'll revisit this topic at some point. Once things come together, we’ll understand this a lot more, but this is where my head’s at right now.

Thoughts?

[dramataste9]

Most popular Recommendations to Get the Great Mobile Phone for your Little Ones

Finding the 1st cellphone for your children can be a trial and just one that you need to control from the very start, you need to setup moments meant for using the cellphone along with what site and apps are best for your kids. There is no right or wrong time to give your kid their initial cell phone, nevertheless various researchers acknowledge that the much longer you wait to deliver them their first cellphone, the better. Nevertheless, what if you are a parent or guardian who expects to have the ability to reach their son or daughter without giving them their very own phone too quickly? We have identified a resolution. Relay is a video display-free, water resistant, cell phone that allows your son or daughter to call your cellphone with the tap of a button. Mother and fathers can talk with their girl or boy’s Relay device using a Relay software using their personal phone. 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One of the primary downsides about getting your kid an iPhone SE is that it’s not created to end up being exceptionally heavy-duty. Thankfully, this is a dilemma that can easily be resolved with a reasonable iPhone SE case instantly. iPhone 7 or iPhone 8 If price range is not a huge concern and you plan to buy a case (or your teenager has revealed themselves never to be careless), the iPhone 7 or 8 make for superb options. Your child should not come to feel kept back by any not enough capabilities (or design) on these new products, even though you can be assured that the parent adjustments on iOS will be all you need to pay attention to your teenager’s use. Though the advance price tag shall be higher, application support for these newer iPhones should last longer, so you will not have to be stressed about upgrading anytime soon. As an added bonus, the iPhone phone cameras are impressive, so you’ll get to enjoy a lot of beautiful shots of the things your child is doing. There's one explanation to offer your children a cellphone: if they're often out of view of trustworthy adults and may possibly need to speak to you or one other care-giver. Please don't purchase your child an expensive, luxurious smartphone. The Wait Until Eighth program, that advocates only giving young children mobile phones after they get into the 8th grade, makes the right reasons, though it too quickly avoids smartphones and social media, which are not the same things. The system's main point, though, is the fact that younger children generally solely require phones for calling a friend or relative and limited texting. The best telephone for tweens and younger is a basic voice telephone, a screen-less Republic Wireless Relay, or a 100 % pure monitoring device like the Lapa2. The instant you try to advance to a mobile phone, do not waste a lot of money. Children and teenagers aren't responsible. Which is part of what makes them children. They are going to lose mobile phones, drop mobile phones, soak mobile phones, and damage cellphones. Realize it will eventually happen. There is a good quantity of sound cellphones in the $300 to $500 collection that are more or less brand-new, secure editions of the operating systems, aren't annoying to use, and don't seem entirely not cool. There are also some decent ones under $200. We are not going to get into the endless dispute, by no means solved, about cellular phone children and teenagers and radiation, but a decent number of couples with children have indicated anxiety to all of us about any of it. The positive news is the fact that radiation concerns only really enter into play when a phone is held directly up to our head for extended periods of time, and young children don't communicate on the telephone with their friends much these days: they will text. Short chats with dad on a regular mobile phone, for basic safety or misc uses, won't injure any individual. For longer talks, buy an affordable wired headset. Regardless of the phone you get, be sure to buy a nice, tough case for this. My little girl enjoys a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in an Otterbox Commuter cellphone case. I didn't imagine how creative my child turn into with the S Smart pen, painting and taking comments continuously. Due to the smart pen, the Samsung Note 4 is not only a mobile phone, it's an limitless diary. Make a trade with your child: In the event they obtain a phone, you are free to start looking at the phone. I check my daughter's phone systematically. She is okay with that; that's the deal. I don't start reading her text messages, however she understands I have that ability.

When you get your young child a phone, be it a new one or a used one, you'll have to address which service plan it will be on. The least expensive choice is Wireless internet-only, without SIM card. If so, they will only have coverage in known Wi-Fi systems, and won't be equipped to send regular text messages or place traditional phone calls. Your daughter or son can, nevertheless, use iMessage and FaceTime on iPhones, or Skype for texting and phoning to additional Google friends on Android phones. straight from the source Your company might give you a mobile phone on a monthly installment deal. However, if you're using a data bucket with a kid, make certain to place a limit on their phone line to a certain amount of periodic data to make sure that they may not eat up all of yours.

[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/vivo-v19-review-finally-a-promising-v-series-phone/

Vivo V19 review: Finally, a promising V-series phone

Written by Sneha Saha | New Delhi | Updated: May 27, 2020 4:30:31 pm

Vivo V19 review: It is a much-upgraded version to the predecessor — Vivo V17. (Express photo: Sneha Saha)

What are the aspects one considers before purchasing a smartphone? Most consumers want their phone to look good, click great pictures, offer one full day of battery life easily and run all kinds of games smoothly. This is where the all-new Vivo V19 wants to ticks all the boxes.

On paper, the Vivo V19 may not look as promising — I thought the same when I first checked the specifications list — but it is when you start using the phone you experience the difference in user experience. Vivo has refined the latest version of the FunTouchOS 10.0 quite a bit and if you have been a Vivo phone user for a long time — you will know the difference and improvements that the version brings with it.

Specifications: 6.44-inch Super AMOLED display, Snapdragon 712 SoC, 48MP quad rear camera, 32MP dual selfie camera, 4500mAh battery, 33W fast charging support, Funtouch 10.0, Android 10, Glass on front and back, punch hole design

Price: Rs 27,999

What’s good?

I have used several Vivo phones over the past few years — starting from Z series to S series to V series and one issue I have had with almost all of them is the software. Previous versions of the FunTouchOS were mostly cluttered with innumerable third-party apps — too many features on one screen which often confuses the user. With the V19, Vivo has resolved this issue quite a bit.

For the Vivo V19, the company has finally optimised and refined its FuntouchOS. The latest version of the software brings major UI improvements — it is less cluttered, there’s dark mode, and the notification panel has finally shifted to the top from bottom. It has always been extremely inconvenient to have the notification tray at the bottom of the screen, the latest FunTouchOS solves this problem.

Vivo V19 review: The smartphone is priced at Rs 27,999 (Express photo: Sneha Saha)

Most Vivo V-series phones look good, but given they are usually priced high one always expects to get a premium design in return. Most of the past Vivo V-series devices — despite the expensive price tag — had a plastic back. With the V19, Vivo has finally shifted to glass.

Vivo has done a great job on the design front. The smartphone unlike its predecessor — Vivo V17 — looks classy, sleek, and worth the price of Rs 27,999. The last V-series phone that I loved was the V15 and now the V17 has finally managed to grab that place. The glass finish adds to the aesthetics.

The camera design looks pretty similar to the Galaxy S20 series though but I give it to Vivo for at least trying something new with this one instead of going by its old strategy of launching phones with almost the same design and a few tweaks here and there. The overall design of the V19 looks neat but some times registers fingerprint marks. So, use the phone with the case that comes with the box.

Vivo V19 review: The phone comes with glass design and looks stunning. (Express photo: Sneha Saha)

Besides the design, what makes the Vivo V19 slightly more appealing is its weight and the stunning display. Despite packing a massive 4500mah battery, Vivo V17 weighs so light that you can hardly feel the weight of the phone on your hand. This again is unlike the last few Vivo V-series phones. The device does feel pretty compact and is extremely easy to use with just one hand. The Super AMOLED display of the Vivo phone gets pretty bright in all lighting conditions. The viewing angles are also pretty good.

Now, let’s come to what the Vivo V series is mainly known for — its camera. Vivo’s V series smartphones have always been camera focused and the new V series isn’t any exception. It has four cameras at the back — first time in a V-series smartphone — and dual selfie shooters on the front that sit inside the punch hole — again for the first time.

Vivo V19 review: The phone includes 48MP quad rear cameras. (Express photo: Sneha Saha)

Some might say phones priced much lower offer 64MP quad-camera setup while Vivo V19 brings 48MP quad-camera setup. To be honest, before using the V19 — when I saw the specifications sheet — I also felt the same, but it is when I used the device for a few days that I noticed the difference.

The cameras of the Vivo V19 have been very well optimised to capture as much detail as possible in almost all lighting conditions. With the very few times I stepped out of the home due to the lockdown I tried clicking as many photos as possible and shooting videos with the Vivo V19. In daylight the Vivo V19 manages to capture stunning pictures with great details. The colours — except in pictures clicked under bright sun as they look washed out — also appear to be pretty crisp. The phone lets users click portrait shots from both the front and back panel and in both situations it manages to click sharp selfies with the background properly blurred out. There are several filters available in the camera app itself so you will not need to download a third-party photo editing app to edit your pictures before uploading on your Instagram. The phone manages to click great selfies with the primary lens — in fact, it is one of the best selfie smartphones you can find in the price point.

Vivo V19 review: Selfie with no filter (Express photo: Sneha Saha)

Vivo V19 review: Macro shot (Express photo: Sneha Saha)

Vivo V19 review: Captured with primary main rear camera (Express photo: Sneha Saha)

Vivo V19 review: Captured with primary main rear camera (Express photo: Sneha Saha)

Vivo V19 review: Captured with primary main rear camera (Express photo: Sneha Saha)

Vivo V19 review: Ultra-wide shot (Express photo: Sneha Saha)

Vivo V19 review: Captured with primary main rear camera (Express photo: Sneha Saha)

Vivo V19 review: Ultra-wide selfie (Express photo: Sneha Saha)

The phone also manages to capture ultra-wide shots and selfies. The ultra-wide pictures look well-detailed even when zoomed in, the colours also look pretty accurate. The macro and low-light are areas I feel the Vivo V19 could have been better optimised given the price of the phone. In both situations the pictures often get blurred. I’m a fan of clicking macro shots and the phone disappointed me a bit.

Another area that matters a lot to a consumer is battery life. Vivo V19 nails it in this department. The massive 4500mAh battery lasts one full day of usage very easily despite depending on the phone for all the day-to-day work. The icing on the cake is the 33W fast charging support that charges the phone completely in 1 hour and 15 minutes.

What’s not so good?

Since the launch of the device it has been criticised for using an old chipset given the price it comes at. The V19 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 processor — which we have seen on the cheaper Vivo Z1. Given Indian consumers check specifications sheet first before buying a smartphone this is one area where most might back off and consider buying some other phone that offers better chipsets at a much cheaper price.

Vivo V19 review: The phone comes with dual punch hole camera design. (Express photo: Sneha Saha)

Despite the old processor, at no point did I feel the phone lagged or slowed down. That’s how well the software has been optimised on the V19. I used the phone as my primary device and given all of us are at home we use phones more than ever before. I did all my work on the V19 — from taking calls to sending emails to browsing social media and the internet, playing games, watching Panchayat on Amazon Prime Video and so on. Despite multiple apps running in the background the Vivo V19 never slowed down. So, in real life usage I don’t think one will have a problem with the phone’s performance at any point.

Who should buy?

If you are a diehard Vivo fan, the V19 is a great option to consider given the number of improvements it has brought in compared to the predecessor. The phone is sleek, captures stunning pictures in most situations — macro and lowlight could have been better — and offers one full day of battery life. However, given the price of the phone, I wish Vivo at least opted for the Snapdragon 730 processor if not the 800 series. If your budget is low and preferences are high such as flagship-level processor, 64MP quad rear camera and more there are other options available in the market from Realme, Redmi, and Samsung.

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[becuzpurple]

It’s About Damn Time! - an Ed & Kate One-Shot

The title of this one-shot is also an extremely appropriate and well-deserved reaction to my S L O W-as-molasses writing.  LOL  But I’m finally done.  YAY!  

As I said, this is a one-shot.  It’s still about Ed and Kate, and it’s still set in the same world as the main story.  But it takes place about 2 ½ years down the line from where the main story currently is.  You will see a 3rd character whom you’ve met before.  You will also see mention made of a new, very significant character, though this person is not important to this chapter, so you won’t actually meet him/her.  Yet.  😊

I hope you like it!

WARNING:  Lossa Smuts

——————————————————————————————-

IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME!

an early Wednesday afternoon

I’ve been running for years.  It gives me discipline and confidence, it’s a great way to relieve stress, and it improves my mental and physical health.  

When I first met Ed, he didn’t exercise regularly.  He’d just come off 5 years of touring, and he was really, really tired.  He was bigger than he is now, but I had no complaints whatsoever.  I liked him big and solid.

After taking a good four or five months to just slog off, he started coming around to the idea that he should probably start taking better care of himself. He says seeing me get up and go to the gym or go for a run made him feel like a slug.  He also says he did it for us, although I never felt that was necessary - he’s always been perfect to me.  But, it was around that time when his perspective began to shift a little bit in regards to a few things.

One of those things was his health.  He told me that he didn’t want to get fat and lazy.  I couldn’t imagine that actually happening at all, but I certainly wasn’t about to discourage him, either.  We began working out together, even though I had to stop running due to some early pregnancy complications.  I still exercised right up until I went into labor - mostly yoga and stationary weight machines.  Ed did those things with me, too, and he also started running.  

He’s now in the best shape of his life.  His body has changed over the last couple of years.  That sweet, soft belly that wouldn’t ever completely go away actually went almost completely away (RIP, belly - I kind of loved you).  He has defined abs.  He’s gained lean muscle-mass.  He’s noticeably stronger (and he was strong before!).  His endurance is through-the-roof.  

We run together now when he’s home, often with Daisy in the jogging stroller. On this particular day, though, she’d napped a little early, so I stayed in with her while Ed went out for his run.  Nathan and Lucy were at school.

It was early-afternoon in mid-fall, and it rained the night before.  It was cold, and the sun wasn’t out, so there was a dreary cast to everything - in other words, typical November weather.  It was good napping weather, and Daisy was taking full advantage of that in her new “big girl” toddler bed.  She loved it so much that she had a renewed interest in naps and bedtime.                              

����🏻 Thank-you Jesus🙏🏻

I sat down at the kitchen counter with a fresh cup of coffee and my laptop, and opened up my emails, which was my first mistake.  I should have started working on the new research project I’d been invited to participate in.  I’d been asked to contribute to a collection of biographical sketches for a Time magazine feature called “Women and the Myth of the American West”.  I was really excited about it, and needed to begin researching my subject - Elena Gallegos, who, in 1712, widowed and aged 32, became the sole owner of a land grant that included about 4/5 of present-day Albuquerque, NM.  It was willed to her NOT from her deceased husband, but from another man!

But I digress.  Instead of gathering facts about Elena, I started reading through my unopened emails.  

My friend Dante had lately made a habit of emailing video links to me - links to videos of Ed.  Because he’s completely obnoxious!  I don’t make a habit of watching Ed videos.  I admit that right after we met I promptly fell right down that rabbit hole, but it honestly only lasted a couple of days, and I haven’t really looked at any more since then.

Dante periodically fangirls pretty hard over Ed, and it’s really hilarious since he knows him, now.  He’s slightly embarrassed yet completely unapologetic about it.  

So, he’d evidently just discovered Ed’s BRIT’s performance from 2015 - Bloodstream.  That’s what the link was to in the email he’d sent me.  He was raving about it - he even noted a minute-mark within the performance that he thought I’d particularly enjoy.  So then I made my second mistake:  I clicked on the link and I watched it.  I’d somehow never seen it before.

This is such a sexy song.  Oh, he looks so good in black…those are really red shoes.  That vein on his neck and wow he sounds so good.  He’s in such a different place when he’s performs - like he’s a completely different person. Jesus he’s oozing confidence.  And sex.  He’s oozing sex?!  Whatever, it’s true.  Why is that little backward step so hot???  And why is it suddenly freaking hot as hell in here?  The RASP.  Fuck me, that rasp...OK, here comes the part Dante thinks I’ll like…HOLY SHIT.  What’s he thinking about when he spanks his guitar like that?  It can’t actually be the song, right?  I know I’m not thinking about the song.  GOD, I’M BAD.  Oh god more rasp and more neck veins and I’m…Jesus help me, my blood is rushing to PLACES, no joke…I just…FUCK...

When the hell will he be home?

I glanced at the clock and saw that he’d be gone for at least another 10 minutes or so - plenty of time to rewatch the good parts…a few times.  

Which is what I was still doing several minutes later when I heard him open the door.  I stopped the video just as he came in through the back entrance off the kitchen, drenched in sweat and still breathing hard.  His eyes found mine and he nodded in greeting, leaning on the door frame as he caught his breath.

“Hey.”  He noted my setup.  “Getting some work done?”

“Hi.”  My voice was soft.  I couldn’t tear my eyes from him.  “No, I...got distracted.”

I closed the laptop, got up from my chair, and made my way over to him, still in the doorway.  He was eying me curiously, a small grin forming.

“Distracted by what?”

I took hold of his waist and pulled him closer to me.

“Email,” I answered right before I kissed him…with a little bit of tongue.

He readily reciprocated, delving into my mouth with the softest, most slippery of caresses.  He gently pulled my bottom lip with his teeth before leaving one last, chaste kiss. Then he pulled back just far enough to let his eyes focus on mine.  

“Mmmm, more…” I pulled his torso right into mine, and basked in how drenched with sweat he was.

I slid a hand up the back of his neck through those wet curls and guided his face back down to me.

His mouth opened immediately and I took full advantage, holding him to me as my tongue eagerly explored.  There was a saltiness to the taste of him, and a muffled moan escaped my mouth at the thought of being wrapped up in this sexy, sweaty, beautiful man.

His hands soon moved to my hips, starting to slide to my backside, but then he paused and kept them fastened where they were, and he again pulled his lips away from mine.

He returned my soft, huff of frustration with a small smirk and a knowing look.

“I’m a sweaty mess right now.”

I combed my fingers through the tufts of his damp hair as I softly replied. “Baby, that’s so not a bad thing.”  

Just then I noticed a vein in his neck slightly pulse and I was reminded of what got me in this state to begin with.  I grinned, and then my lips were right there. God, I wanted to inhale him, breathe him, taste him, feel him - I needed it.  I felt the soft rush of his breath on my cheek as he let his head fall to the side.  I inhaled his sharpened, earthy scent as I kissed and nipped at his salty, sticky skin from his collarbone up to his ear.  

I sucked and tugged on his earlobe just a little bit before pulling away.  He righted his head and teased my nose with the tip of his, making me smile.

His hands found their way back to my bottom, and, gripping me securely, he pulled me in right up against his groin.  “This what you wanted?”

His voice was suddenly so serious, and his cock was already getting hard.  I felt him through my thin cotton pants and his shorts, and I was so fucking turned on, and really, really glad that he seemed to be, too.

I nodded.

He was slick with sweat - everywhere.  I have no idea why that made ME so wet, but, my god, did it.  

I nudged my hips up into his, and we began rubbing against one another, slow and deliberate, both of us still fully clothed.

What the hell has gotten into me?  Fucking Bloodstream…

He leaned back on the door and positioned his knee between my thighs.  I leaned into him, and we rocked into each other, slowly building up, and the friction became so intense I felt flutters in my belly. I brought my hand to the obvious bulge at the front of his running shorts, and started stroking him in time with our thrusting.  

Our mouths came at each other hard, and for a few seconds there was a frenzy of slippery tongues and wet lips sliding over each other.  We were desperate mouths and rough hands and stifled gasps and sticky-wet bodies.

We broke away and, with his hands at my waist, he urgently backed me into the kitchen, to the large, built-in island.  He was about to lift me up on it, but then stopped and looked at me uncertainly.

“Daisy?”

“Asleep,” I assured him.

We stared at each other for another second or two before we came together again, lips fusing, tongues thrashing, hands fumbling, bodies converging.  He had my pants down before I even realized his hands were on me.  I quickly kicked them all the way off, but I was still wearing my panties.    

I shoved his shorts and underwear down to his knees and locked my legs around his waist just as he pressed himself up against my center.  

Somehow during all of this he sat me up on the very edge of the island.

His brow ruffled slightly when he noticed that I still had my panties on, but I hastily pulled them to the side, out of his way.  We shared a brief smirk just before he took hold of himself and slammed into me.  There was no point in checking my readiness.  I’d already made that very clear to him.

I was caught up in the sight of him - his eyes were blown wide and lips slightly parted, he was hot and covered in sweat and soaking wet, and his hand was wrapped around his dick as he aligned himself with me.  He was all confidence and desire - from the intent etched on his face, to the forward roll of his hips, to the well-practiced way he held his beautiful, hard cock in his hand just before he guided it into me.

He is a lot to take in at once.  The sting (there’s always a sting) was sharp but short-lived, and was followed by that exquisite sense of fullness that still gets me every time.  

My balance on the counter was questionable, so I kept a hand back to anchor myself.  My other hand gripped his shoulder.  He held my hips tight as he fucked into me, full-force, balls deep on every thrust, so hard I was groaning in time with the short, soft grunts he made on each exhalation.  By then we were both covered in sweat.

“Fuck.  I love this…”  I thought it was just in my head but I apparently said it out loud.  He didn’t answer me, but did raise an eyebrow and grinned while he continued fucking into me.  He watched my eyes fall shut and my head fall back, and then I felt his lips and tongue on my bared neck.

He felt so good, and the spontaneity of it made it that much better.  It’s hard to be spontaneous when you have a toddler and two tweens in the house - and when Ed is on the road as often as he is.  He comes home as often as possible, and I’ve occasionally joined him for a weekend here-and-there when I could manage it, but Daisy is usually with me, and those opportunities are few and far-between, anyway.  So even though this was an unplanned quickie, it was much-needed.

There was one other thing I wanted though, thanks to that damn video.  But since he’s not a mind-reader, I was going to have to ask for it.

Quickly, before I could lose my nerve, I pressed my lips next to his ear and whispered, “Spank me.”

He hadn’t expected that, judging by the look on his face.  But I saw excitement there, too - he loves it just as much as I do.

”Yeah?  You been bad?”

He’d been gripping my hips the whole time, and now started working his fingers over the outermost contours of my ass cheeks.  He didn’t stop slamming into me over and over, and I took a sharp breath as another thrust hit me just right.    

Eyes boring into mine, he slammed HARD into me one more time, pushing, pushing, just keeping himself buried so deep in me.  His eyes zeroed-in on my mouth and he moved in so close to my face that I thought he was going to kiss me.  But, no.  He brushed his lips against the corner of mine and, sounding absolutely cocksure, whispered, “Hope you’re ready.”

In one fell swoop he pulled out, and before I could even register that, he lowered me to the floor and spun me around, yanking my panties down.  Before they even fell to my knees he was balls-deep again.

Oh, god.

He kept one hand firm between my shoulder blades and the other spread out over one of my ass cheeks as he fucked into me and whispered in my ear.  

“Have you been bad?”

Jesus…

Everything had escalated so quickly and I was wrecked enough already that I couldn’t properly put words together.  So I just sort of grunted in acknowledgement.

His hand still stroked my bottom, although somewhat erratically, probably due to his busy thrusting.  

“Such a pretty bum.”

His voice was so soft, and he sounded so controlled, although his movements betrayed that impression.  I imagined his eyes glued to my backside.  

“Should I make it pink, then?”

Fuck…Yes?!

I meant to answer him - I really did.  But the the best I could manage was a muffled, incoherent moan.

“What’s that?  Can’t hear you.”  

I took a breath before gasping out a soft, “Please?”

I felt him smile against the back of my neck as he murmured, “There’s my dirty girl,” as he drove into me again.

It felt dirty, what we were doing.  We were fucking in our kitchen in the middle of the day.  He had me bent over the island, both of us still half-dressed.  He was a sweating mess from his run, and I was too by that point.  The sounds coming from both of us were indecent (although muffled, since the baby’s room was just right up the stairs). Everything felt wet and slick, and hard and rough, and hot as hell.  

I was leaning on my elbows, hands splayed flat on the countertop.  I looked over my shoulder and saw him staring down at my bottom.  I’m sure he also had a view of himself repeatedly slamming into me.  In any case, he seemed enthralled by what he saw.

He thrusted hard again.  And again.  

I turned my head to face forward again, my breath rushing out, gasping on each stroke.  He filled me continuously, hitting my furthest walls, steady and unyielding.  The flutters in my belly were spreading.  I felt like I was lighting up slowly.  I went up on my tiptoes and arched my back just a little bit more, forcing my bottom further out, needing more, asking for more.  It was such a good, good feeling - being fucked so good like that.

He unexpectedly pulled out, quickly hooked his right hand below my thigh and lifted it up so my knee came just above the countertop.

“Put your leg up here.”

I did so, and then he took hold of my waist and slammed right back in.  The angle was different so the bumping of his cock inside me was more intense.  He was reaching even deeper.

His right hand was back on my bottom, fingers pit-patting in subtle patterns.  He brought his left hand around to my front, his fingertips swirling lazily over my most sensitive parts.

My mind drifted away, lost again in the sensations. My body was thrumming - I could feel it buzzing from my belly out to my limbs, my fingers, my toes.  I was so consumed in the moment that when that first smack came I was stunned.

He had just pulled back, with the head of his cock barely touching me, and lightly tapped his fingers over my clit a few times.  I heard it before I felt it - a resounding slap that snapped me out of my reverie.  I felt the sting of his hand just as he slammed back inside me, hitting my front wall with such force that I grunted at the impact.

And god, it hurt - it really hurt.  But the pain was only secondary.  Much more important than the pain, and the reason I love it so much…it makes me feel so incredibly close to him.  I know that sounds crazy…like, how on earth would Ed spanking me cause me to feel closer to him?  But I completely trust him, so I allowed him to be in a position of control over me within that situation.  I knew I would feel some pain, but I also knew he would never, ever actually hurt me. For us…unspoken promises accompany acts like this - absolute love and trust among them.

I sucked my lips into my mouth, hoping that would keep me from releasing the wail that was welling up inside, threatening to escape.  Instead, my soft, mewling whimpers mingled with his hard, gaspy breaths.  I was completely lost in it again.

“Please...” I gasped, pushing my bottom out as far as I could, trying to get more of him.  

“Please what, baby…what do you want?”  He breathed in my ear between each thrust.

“More…everything…”

I’m sure I wasn’t making much sense at all, but it was the best I could do at the time.  I wanted him deeper - so fucking deep in me, and I wanted him to make my bottom look sunburned and make it hurt and feel so damn good that I’d lose any remaining sense of reality.

He knew.  He knew what I wanted, what I needed.  And he wanted it, too.

He was attentive and carefully turned each cheek a lovely shade of rose pink - like a deep blush.  Never while he was inside me - he only filled me immediately after a spank.  That way I could feel the sharp sting at the same time as something truly pleasurable, and that combination is fucking electrifying.

I was so warm everywhere - we both were.  But the heat emanating from my bottom was different - like a deep, low, slow-spreading burn.  It, along with the smoldering tremors threatening to go off throughout my body finally, finally, started to push me over.  Just when I could tell that the end was near, he opened his mouth and shattered me to pieces.

“Baby, your arse is so fuckin’ pretty…so pink…just like your pretty pussy…”

I began clenching everywhere, including around him.  My legs and my hips tensed, and if he hadn’t already had me pinned up against the island I would have gone down.

“You almost there…gonna come, sweet girl?”

I nodded, but have no idea if he saw it or not.  Then everything went soft for a second, my ears buzzed, my entire body pulsed.  The ache in me spread everywhere, and then a terrific whoosh of warmth and comfort consumed me.  I was swept up and fallen apart.  He’d completely taken me Somewhere Else.  It was just what I needed and absolutely perfect. 

He finished just after me.  His hips were a flurry of movement as they rocketed into me a last few times.  Then his body tensed, as mine had, and he breathed out a series of short, not-so-quiet gasps as he came.

---

“What.  The fuck.  Was that?”  

We were on the floor against the base of the island, still half-naked and legs tangled together.  My head was buried in the crook of his neck.  His arms were around me. He left copious short, soft kisses all over the side of my head and face.

I glanced from the corner of my eye at him, a tiny, somewhat awkward grin plastered on my face.  He looked immensely pleased.

I didn’t answer him.

“I’m not complaining at all.  But really…what got into you?”

“Umm…you?” I giggled.  I was not about to tell him that a freaking 4 year-old video of him got me so worked up that I literally begged him to spank me.  In the middle of the day.  In the kitchen. Nope.  Wasn’t going to happen.

“Ha-ha.”  He smiled and took my hand.  “Damn, woman.  I thought my workout was the run but you gave me another one.”

“Ha,” I grinned.  I got one, too.”  

I looked down at the both of us - what a sight.  His shorts and underwear were around his ankles, but he still wore his t-shirt and shoes.   My pants were flung across the floor, my panties were around one ankle, and my shirt and bra were askew.  We were both sweaty messes.

Glancing at the wall clock, I sighed.  “We should shower.  Daisy will be up in a bit.”

He nodded and puffed out a noisy breath, stood, and pulled his shorts back up.  I remained sitting on the floor watching him until he offered his hand to help me up.  He grabbed my pants up off the floor as I kicked my panties off from around my ankle.  Because what was the point, really, right?  

We walked together to the shower, cleaned ourselves up (and then the kitchen, too - yikes), and no one was the wiser.

——————————–

Saturday Evening, 10 Days Later

Dante was visiting, and he, Ed and I were just finishing up a late dinner that he’d picked up on the way over.  Daisy was down for the night, and both Lucy and Nate were at a friend’s birthday party.  We hadn’t seen Dante in a while - several months, actually.  So when he called that morning, suddenly freed-up from plans with his partner Aaron, who was called out-of-town for work last minute, we all jumped at the chance to finally catch-up.

I’d just finished clearing the table of our dishes, and Ed was still rinsing and putting them in dishwasher.  Dante was making our drinks.  I took my seat at the dining room table while the guys were chatting and finishing up in the kitchen.

Those two adore each other.  They’d immediately bonded upon first meeting a few years ago, and it made me so happy.  Dante is probably my oldest, and one of my dearest friends, and I love that he and Ed get on so well.  Both of them were in a mood that evening, though.  I had no chance of getting out unscathed.

They came back to their seats carrying tequila shots with lime wedges for all of us.  I’d already brought out some snacks for us to nibble on.

“It’s really good to see you, D.  It’s been too long.”  I put a few homemade oatmeal raisin cookies on a small plate and slid it in front of him as I spoke.  Ed nodded in agreement.

“I’m just here for the cookies.”  He grinned at me and then turned to Ed.  “You know Katie used to bake cookies for me in high school?”

“Yeah?  Were they any good?”

“Hey?!”  I shot him a look.  He just grinned and popped a whole cookie in his mouth.

“Amazing.  That’s when I decided to keep her.”  He winked at me.

“I did, didn’t I?  I’d forgotten all about that.”

Ed downed his shot and added, smirking, “Yeah.  I’m totally here just for her cookies, too.”

While the two of them chortled over their silly innuendos, I bit back a grin and shook my head.  You can’t help but love ‘em.

“Sooo, you never acknowledged my last email, Kit-Kat,” Dante chided me.

“Oh, I didn’t?  What was- OH.”  It was the link to the Bloodstream performance.  I could feel my face flushing as I recalled the aftermath from viewing it.

Shit…

Both Ed and Dante were looking at me oddly.  Ed clearly didn’t know a thing about any of it, but he definitely noticed my red face.  Dante seemed to be working out that there was some sort of story - he had a dangerous glint in his eye, and he started laughing.

I just stared forward blankly and took a huge bite of cookie so I wouldn’t have to talk.

“What?  What was in the email?”  Ed looked between Dante and me, not sure who might answer him.

“You know I’m a huge fan, right?  Like, major fangirl?  I’m not ashamed to admit it.  I mean…LOOK at you!”  Dante was talking with his arms by that point, as any decent, excited Sicilian would.

Ed shrugged and smiled.  None of this was news to him.

I did nothing except pray to disappear.  I had a feeling this was going to get epically embarrassing soon.

“Well, you probably know that I occasionally send our darling Katie-Kat links to…videos that I…just happen to come across.  Of you.  I figure she might enjoy them as much as - or more - than I do.  It amuses me to no end.”

“Oh, god,” I whispered to no one in particular.

“Right, yeah, she’s mentioned that.  I’m down with it.  So, it was a video of me?”

Dante nodded, sucking on the lime wedge, and then slammed down his shot of tequila.

Ed gave me a bemused look.  “What was it?”

“Ohhhhh… Umm, it was when you did Bloodstream at the BRIT’s a few years ago?”  I didn’t know where to look, so I studied my still-full shot glass.

“Oh, good, you did see it, then.  What did you think, dear?”

I glanced up at Dante then, and my very evil friend was waggling his thick, dark eyebrows at me, knowing full-well that the video must have had some sort of effect on me to bring about this kind of reaction at the mention of it.

“Yeah, what did you think, dear?”  Ed was getting a little bit animated, too, or maybe buzzed.  He was grinning wildly and wagging his head around at me. He must have realized that something good was about to go down.

I looked from one to the other and saw that they both watched me expectantly. Deciding it was a good time for some liquid courage, I sucked hard on my lime and slammed down my shot.

I looked at Ed, smiled, and answered his question.  “I thought it was Sexy.  As.  Hell.  Dear.”

“THANK-YOU, yes!  Yes he was!”  Dante then turned from me to Ed, arms waving again.  “Yes you were!  It’s my favorite video of you, you…gorgeous creature!”  

Dante is naturally very hyper and enthusiastic, but Tipsy Dante is a whole ‘nother story.  His tequila-laced exuberance was contagious, and even I started giggling by then.  “D…you have a favorite Ed video??”

“YAHHHH?!!”

Ed was laughing and looking smug.  He nodded toward Dante.  “Thanks, man!” Glancing down at our empty drinks, he stared for a few seconds and then stood up.  “Be right back.”

He retrieved the bottle of tequila from the kitchen where Dante had left it and refilled each of our shot glasses.

OK.  Maybe I’m in the clear…

“Thank-you, sir.  Salute!”  Dante raised his drink up for a toast.  

We clinked our glasses together and drank up.  I was feeling warm and mellow and relaxed by then, and that turned out to be a problem.  I‘d let my guard down.

“I’m sure we agree on what the best part was, do we not, Katie-Katie?”

“The best part of what?”  I had no idea what he meant.  God, if I had I would have deflected immediately.  But no.  I invited him to continue.  Because tequila.

“The video!  I even noted the time for you, darling.”  The fucker actually started drumming on the tabletop as he grinned wickedly at me.

Fuck.

“What the fuck are you talking about, mate?  Noted the time of what?”

Ed was being adorably clueless.  Dante was being a mischievous bastard.  I was being that girl who was pouring another shot and slamming it immediately.

“I’m just saying…I cannot be the only one who enjoys seeing a good-looking man spanking his… instrument!”

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at that, but I blushed furiously at the same time.  Dante was wearing a smug “sorrynotsorry” sort of expression, while Ed laughed almost as hard as I did.  Ed glanced at me then and saw my burning cheeks.  And I saw it happen - realization hit him right at that moment.  He stopped laughing almost abruptly, and then grinned so evilly at me it rivaled a Dante Smirk of Doom.

“Hold on, hold on!  When did you send her that email, Dante?”

Wow.  I’m so fucked it’s funny.

“I don’t know…week?  Week-and-a-half ago?”

There was a pause, just a beat of silence while Ed took that detail in.  And then…

“Oiiiiiiiiii!  That day!  After my run!  You were all wantin’ it-”  He was excitedly and emphatically smacking the table.  How ironic.

“Wait, WAIT, WAIT.  WHAT?  Katie Bear?!!  My cute little Katie Bug?  What exactly did you want?”

Now, I was plenty embarrassed, but I wasn’t completely flipping out or anything like that.  I know Dante has a bit of a freaky streak, himself - it’s been discussed before.  Spanking is actually pretty tame compared to some of the things he’s told me.  I was actually more flustered over Ed figuring out that watching a video of him is what got me so worked up that day.

But I figured there was no stopping this train, and since we were all three sheets to the wind already, anyway, I decided to just go for it.  I took a breath and (figuratively) jumped.

“What do you think I wanted, D?”  I gave him a playful wink and grin, and began drumming on the table, myself.

The noise that erupted from that man could have waked the dead.  It was a shriek like no shriek I’ve heard before.  And that’s saying a lot, since I’ve known Dante and his penchant for drama for about 25 years - I’d heard LOTS of Dante’s shrieking.

Ed’s and my immediate reaction was to shush him since Daisy was asleep just upstairs, but our shushes almost instantly turned into full-out belly laughs. Dante in Complete Theatrical Mode was a sight to see.  He did eventually tone it down a little bit, and between his residual hoots and sputters, he squawked out a few barely-coherent things.

Using wildly gesticulating arms to emphasize his words, he finally croaked out at me, “My puppy!  My sweet, innocent Katie-Boo!”

He then turned to Ed, trying so hard not to lose it completely.  “YOU, young man, have corrupted my darling Kit-Kat!  And I have one thing to say about that!”  He comically waved his finger in Ed’s face while both Ed and I laughed so hard we had tears running down our cheeks.

“It’s.  About.  Damn.  Time!”

——————————————————————————————-

I’d like to thank @ownerandwriterofedsnnnnggghhhh for her patience with me and my insecure ramblings about my writings, as well as her time spent editing/proofing/opinion-giving!  I also want to thank @edchristophersheeran for letting me use her words for the very last line and the title of this piece.  Y’all are the best!

As always, feedback is very much encouraged.  Click “like” or reblog, or send me an Ask, or do any combination of these things!  But it’s literally the ONLY way I know if anyone is even reading my work, let alone enjoying it.  So please leave me some, ok?  :-)

[lancecarr]

How to Solve 10 Common Training Problems With Video

Most trainers, both formal and informal, have the same goal: to make learning that sticks.

The problem with that is, well, problems. There are tons of roadblocks that come up when you’re trying to get other people to absorb information, especially if you’re not the subject matter expert.

In this post, we examine ten pain points that video training addresses – the first of which is the time and money spent on face-to-face learning for repetitive tasks.

Problem #1: Face-to-face training is time-consuming and expensive

Thorough training for employees is entirely necessary for facilitating productivity and safety, but it can quickly become time-consuming and expensive. U.S. companies spent an estimated $70.65 billion on training in 2016 and, on average, lost 53.8 productivity hours per employee while getting them acclimated, according to Training Magazine’s 2016 “Training Industry Report.” 

In most cases, scaling back training is not viable, especially for health care, finance, government, and other strictly regulated industries. But high-quality training in less time is a real possibility and is necessary for businesses that want to curb costs and inconveniences tied to face-to-face job preparation. 

Step one is to replace certain face-to-face orientations and training with video-based learning content. In-person training occupies the schedule of at least two people at any given time – the trainee and the employee administering that training. 

Recommended Reading: The Ultimate Guide to Easily Make Instructional Videos

While nuanced functions inevitably require physical demonstrations, more universal tasks such as filling out time cards or basic, repetitive knowledge work can be proficiently communicated with a well-produced series of on-screen demonstrations and lectures. 

Moving appropriate face-to-face training to video-based training can reduce time, and therefore money. Record it once, share it as many times as you need. 

Problem #2: Schedules can be a nightmare to coordinate

Time spent in face-to-face training sessions is often preceded by an uphill battle to coordinate schedules. Additionally, training coordinators are often under pressure to complete training within tight timeframes. 

This is a struggle given how many people’s schedules need to be considered: 

HR reps responsible for administering and/or coordinating training sessions.

IT team members needed to help with demonstration setups.

Subject matter experts brought in from other departments or locations.

New learners, who are all too easily double-booked as they ramp up. 

Higher-level managers requesting to sit in on certain sessions. 

The beauty of video-based training is that it can be easily recorded at a time that is convenient for those administering the session, and slotted into trainees’ schedules without excessive coordination between multiple parties. Sessions can also be saved and shared through web-based platforms to be used later as teams grow. 

This way, nothing, and no one, falls through the cracks. 

Problem #3: Training across the globe is difficult

Training is often a national or multinational endeavor that requires extensive resources and coordination. The costs of traveling to and from different office locations, and, in some cases, renting space to hold a training session, really add up. Meanwhile, coordinating schedules around multiple time zones can quickly become a hairsplitting exercise.

Language barriers can also present problems during training seminars, requiring translators to make sure everyone gets value from the experience. 

All of this begs the question: Is the cost and complexity of global training justified? 

In some cases, yes. But often, video can be used as a substitute. For instance, when onboarding new personnel, you can use screen recording or video editing software to record webinars and training demonstrations. These videos can then be edited to include captions or subtitles, translations or even quiz questions to gauge how well viewers are learning the content. More importantly, these training assets also work as scalable and repeatable resources. 

In other words, with video, organizations can create concise, compelling reference material that employees can view asynchronously and worldwide, and captioned in their language, as needed.

Problem #4: I’ve only got one shot to capture everything I need from my subject matter expert

Video-conferencing between two or more people is a great way to share information and ideas. It is also ideal for communicating complex and technical information that may be specific to certain specialists, for instance, in medical fields. 

This is because:

The brain processes imagery 60,000 times faster than words, according to Fast Company. 

Humans retain content with imagery better than audio content alone. 

But anyone who has participated in a meeting knows the feeling of trying to pay attention while also taking detailed notes. When the person on the other side of the screen is a busy subject matter expert who is not readily available, you need to ensure you get the right information the first time around. Or do you?

Screen recording and video editing tools let users record interviews so they can be 100-percent engaged during interviews and conversations.

Alternatively, a trainee could send a list of questions to a busy Subject Matter Expert (or SME), who can answer those questions in video-format. Either way, using video for SME interviews enables the creation of a permanent multimedia resource that can be played back on-demand at variable speeds, and even annotated with markers and notes if necessary. You can even get the video transcribed to turn the audio into text if needed.

Capture, consume, annotate, repeat.

Problem #5: The brain drain is real

In his book Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways that Inspire Innovation and Performance, Jay Cross compared formal training to riding a bus, where the driver takes you where you need to be, and informal training to riding a bike, where you make your own route, according to Brainshark.

Just as you might need a bus one day and a bike another, formal and informal video-based learning both have their place in the modern business. 

Formal training is effective for establishing a knowledge base for new employees. It’s also crucial for inflexible processes such as medical protocols and compliance management. Processes like this need to be exact, and therefore conveyed in a procedural manner rather than as ad hoc lessons learned. Formal training is typically given in a deliberate order, by a specific and sometimes certified trainer, within a required time frame – for example, an engineering safety procedure video series. 

Informal training happens more on a learn-as-you-go basis. For example, imagine your company has a data management system that was built in house, but the employees who built it are leaving or retiring. All of their expertise and knowledge will also leave with them, causing a void in knowledge that will be difficult to fill. Informal training can solve this through employees creating training videos around their own areas of expertise. As business processes evolve and become more efficient, employees might create video content that shares self-learned best practices. 

The great thing is, you can create both formal and informal training programs with video and screencasts easily and affordably across your entire organization. 

Problem #6: I work with smart people. How do I learn from them?

There is a lot of value in a well-produced series of onboarding videos that help employees acclimate to their roles quickly and inexpensively. But there’s also value in the organic development of a training community that employees can contribute to, and learn from, ad hoc. 

This process, called social learning, doesn’t happen formally, or at management’s request. Rather, it’s the natural outcome of democratizing visual communication tools. Case in point, if someone who is asked to explain pivot tables enough times has access to easy to use video creation tools, they might just go ahead and record a quick “How To” video. 

The second part of that is having a hub where these videos can be uploaded and shared with a relevant audience. 

With intuitive screen capture tools and a collaborative sharing platform, workplace knowledge and training can be crowdsourced. 

Problem #7: Slide decks get boring…fast

Slide decks fulfill a useful function: to organize and present content-heavy training sessions with short, bullet-point summations and visual media. 

The problem is that too many slide decks fail at the “ visual media” element by not using images or media at all. The goal of any good slide deck should be to tell a story, not to read facts and information from a screen verbatim. Part of telling that story is showing the audience something that visually communicates the message. 

One of the best ways to avoid creating a mundane or overwhelming slide deck is to include screenshots, GIFs and video clips. Presenters can visually annotate screenshots to more effectively illustrate their points. No more excessively long, bulleted lists. 

Video and animated GIFs also liven up the presentation. 

Whoever said slide decks have to be boring? 

Problem #8: Remember that training from three months ago? Me neither…

The biggest drawback of traditional, in-person training sessions and written training manuals is that it’s easy to forget the content, and hard to find it when you need it later. Instead of digging back through past notes from training sessions, what if the initial training had been recorded, and then broken into several short videos? 

The videos would serve as short, digestible content that can be absorbed quickly, but also passively. In other words, it can be watched over and over again as needed, and with very little work on the part of the employee. Just record the original training, and break it up into microvideos for anyone to watch when they need to. 

Another option is to include a table of contents for training videos, which let viewers jump to the most relevant topics in the video, depending on their needs at the time. 

Present it once, watch it once and reference it as many times as you need. 

Problem #9: So much training, so little time

Companies are taking twice as long to hire than they were just a few years ago, The Wall Street Journal noted. Understandably, managers are therefore eager to get new employees trained quickly. This means businesses are under pressure to teach employees faster in a shorter time period. 

However, managers also don’t want to leave new hires feeling unprepared to handle tasks being thrown at them – which is too often the case. According to HR Morning, approximately one-third of hires quit within the first six months of employment, and the fourth most commonly cited reason for leaving is “inadequate training.”

One way companies have sought to change this is by using video to more effectively convey information in an engaging, memorable format. According to Forrester, employees are 75 percent more likely to watch training videos than to read training documentation.

As an added bonus for employers, many video editors let you add quiz questions to check if your viewer is learning the content correctly, so trainers can keep tabs on user progress. 

With more friendly video creation tools on the market, it’s easier than ever to create engaging videos that include motion graphics, effects, and captions, rather than just a trainer talking through the content. Give the people what they want–engaging video-based training content that presents a message concisely and memorably–and they’ll be more likely to give you what you want: a shorter learning curve and a longer tenure.

Problem #10: Scaling training is complicated

Last but not least, as businesses grow and change, training must change with it to stay fresh. 

A notable benefit of using video and other eLearning media is that you can create and share more training content in less time. Rather than developing a series of slide decks, coordinating schedules and delivering multiple sessions to users, training coordinators can focus on the production of multimedia training resources that can be delivered to trainees without any of the physical presentations or scheduling challenges. 

Another big benefit of video-based training content is that you can always edit it if the content needs to be changed or updated, and then simply redistribute the updated content instead of calling everyone back together for face-to-face training. 

Additionally, video enables the sharing of knowledge, presentations, and demonstrations among employees and ensures that there’s a community for both formal and informal learning. 

Lights, camera, training. 

Ready to start solving your training problems with video? Camtasia is the best all-in-one screen recorder and video editor that’s helped millions of video-beginners quickly create great instructional videos. Try it now!

The post How to Solve 10 Common Training Problems With Video appeared first on Welcome to the TechSmith Blog.

https://www.techsmith.com/blog/solve-training-problems-video/

[highbuttonsports]

One Hell Of a Time at The Calgary Stampede

    One hell of a time. I don’t know how else one can describe the Calgary Stampede. The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth is how the CS brand describes the Calgary Stampede, and they don’t diss a point. There’s so many things involved in the Stampede that some you see from afar, most you don’t. Food that you wouldn’t believe, tents where you can party until the sun comes out. All this accompanied by the daily rodeo and evening Chuckwagon races. The Calgary Stampede is something that if you have never experienced, put it on your damn bucket list right now and get out here! I honestly don’t even know where to start to when describing the Calgary Stampede.

  Hundreds of thousands of tourists flock into town days before, and the city evolves. How does a city evolve you ask? The 10 days that are the Calgary Stampede, the whole city is in the spirit. It’s not like a Flames playoff run, or a Mooseheads memorial cup run (for those East Coasters tuning in), this is off the charts. Just think of it as a party for 10 straight days. Day and night. Then get up and do it all again. Cowboy boots, western wear, hats you name it. It’s Halloween in July. Legit, I’m sure the true cowboys around just sit back and laugh at everyone dressed up in skinny jeans and cowboy boots. In skirts that your ass will hang out of (male and female, we don’t discriminate).

   The common goal though, is the whole city for once is on the exact same page. Everyone is involved, and everyone is bought in. How often these days does the city come together no matter who you are, what you do, what race you are, what car you drive, what brand of underwear you wear. We’re all the City of Calgary for these 10 days putting on the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. Like I said, there’s so many parts and pieces to Stampede, but does anyone really care about the fried food, the midway rides and games and the G Rated parts? Absolutely not. Every city has midways some time or another, but Stampede. Man oh man.. Stampede. You can do Stampede many different ways. I remember chatting with a buddy just before the week kicked off and told them that I had never personally been on a midway ride during Stampede. Their face dropped and couldn’t believe it. As I laughed, it’s just not how we’ve ever done Stampede. Let me introduce you to the main reason why most locals dislike the Stampede. It’s one big piss up, which I guess isn’t a lie, but I guess it’s what a lot of people love. 

Personally I’ve been in Calgary for 4 years in December, and I just finished my fourth Stampede. I won’t lie, the first one was pretty calm and uneventful. We took in a few events, but never were exposed to the nitty gritty. The second one.. well yup, now we’re going. The third one, well that was just a gong show, and this year, another one for the books. I’ll try not to bore you with stories of every time I’ve ever been to the Stampede. We can save that for the autobiography, but lets dip into some fun events. A lot of Stampede is corporate outings, events, piss ups you name it. We entertain customers, we gamble on the Chuckwagons, we throw money around at the bull riding. 2017 was when I started my current gig. Cowboy’s tent. I can just stop there and the majority of you will know where that goes. But lets dive in. I’m the newbie, the rookie, the kid. 

   We have some customers out to the Cowboy’s tent on a Sunday night, the Chainsmokers are in town. Now we’re not just in the tent, but we have a Super Suite, raised above the crowd with bottle service, VIP the whole 9 yards. Following pre drinks we all head to the Suite, waltz right in like we own the place right up to the suite. Yea, it is kind of a big deal because all the pigeons hang out below. I’m kidding, Cowboy’s is a blast no matter where you are. I can’t remember the security guards name, but he was a gem. On our way up to the suite, he looks at a few of us and kind of pulls us aside. “If you see any ladies that you want up here, let me know. We’ll get them up there”.

   Alright then. Yup, buckle up here we go. Side note, now hailing from Halifax, we just don’t have parties like this. Sure you can get ‘guest list’ at the Dome, or give a bouncer at Reflections a twenty to get in, but this is right in line with Vegas shit. This doesn’t happen where I grew up. Moving along though, we’re in for a night. I was thinking to myself I don’t know what I’ve gotten into, but I love this. Keep in mind, Cowboy’s is probably THE PLACE to be during the Stampede. Partying it up with customers. I remember how awesome Neon Dreams was that evening, and that’s about it. Being above the crowd, lots of girls want to come up, lots of people want to be involved. Having some stand down below trying to grab your attention to bring them up, you feel like Sidney Crosby or something sitting up here. Now I’m not that naïve in thinking they want you. They just want the free drinks dumbass, but lets be honest, it’s still funny as hell in that situation. I can go on and on about this night, but it literally black outs after Neon Dreams (great Halifax boys). Leaving Cowboy’s, waking up on the front step, paying a $400 limo bill with the company card, and that story still gets told through the workplace today. That’s Stampede. Well I guess not everyone’s Stampede, but that was my first exposure to how I know Stampede. So with my work we do a lot of customer entertaining, and 2018 we actually bought a tarp and sponsored a Chuckwagon driver. So it goes like this. Every year there is a canvas auction where companies will bid on tarps that will be on the Chuckwagons for each night they race. 

  Tarps range from 50K – 150K depending on the driver. But the catch is you get 10 nights of entertainment, having access to a tent setup in the barns with food, drinks and more fun. Your driver will take you on a barn tour to meet the horses, their staff. It’s a pretty cool experience. So in 2018, I’m the only rep in my division, so we had one full night this event. You get 40 tickets a night, and I had 25 of my guys, the boys, you name it. I felt like a frigging event planner trying to piece this together and set it off without a hitch. Now Cowboy’s was awesome, but I think this was better. Had a phenomenal crew, unbelievable laughs, shit tons of beer and lots of money being tossed around. Yea, we gamble on the races. Very common practice, around the grandstands with cowboy hats full of money getting passed around, pots growing and more. It’s an absolute riot. We had a great crew out that night. Keep in mind I have anywhere from divisional managers of these huge companies, to site superintendents. Like I said earlier, everyone is in this together though. It doesn’t matter who you are, we’re all here for the party. We lost a few people over the course of the night, but there’s always those stragglers that don’t want to go home, so we head to Nashville North. Country music. Nashville North is a tent on the Stampede grounds which is free to get in, and is just another huge party. They have nightly country shows that gets some decent acts in not to mention everyone is lit. I think about 8 of us made it over there out of 25 that night. Mind you, I had a fellow East Coaster with me who I knew would stay out all night. I might as well end this right now, nothing crazy happened. Dancing, drinking, whatever. It’s just another story of standing at the table, looking at the stage and it being a blur. 

  That’s Stampede. This year was, well just another year at Stampede. Nights ending at 3:30 in morning, back to backs. It’s just another Stampede. We did the same thing this year, expect I got a few other nights to head down and enjoy the same thing. Opening night this year, it’s kind of like standing on the blue line during the national anthem. The anticipation before the game, your amped, your antsy, you just want to get going. Let’s go boys, let’s fucking go! That was my whole day Friday July 5th , 2019 and it did not disappoint. Replace blue line with office, and it was basically the same thing. I was lucky enough to only have a few boys with me the first night which is a lot easier to manage. Night started pretty tame, but when you look down the tarmac and see one of your largest customer’s who also sponsored a Chuck is here, you know you better buckle up. The bets were made between companies when we went head to head and we came up short.

   I guess the drinks are on me for the night, fine. Man oh man. What happens when your crew in Alberta is made up of a couple Nova Scotians, and a handful of Newfie’s. Need I say more? That night ended with sharing a cab home with a customer, no idea where this guy lives. He’s passed out cold in the cab trying to wake this guy up to get him home. Night one was a success. Luckily this kid had 6 days off before heading back down for our big night yet again. Fast forward to Thursday, a lot of the same crew from the previous year but a lot of us know each other better, and it’s like everyone looked at each other at the same time and said “We’re getting #InOne”. Yup, here we go. Shot gunning at the tent opened up the evening, bottomless drinks filled in the middle. So we head to the barns after the races to drink some more. The boot came off. So we have a rookie employee that joined us this year.We started putting it in ears around that the rookie each year has to drink from the boot.This was a lie, but we wanted to get this guy. The boot came off, my right boot. Let’s fill er up! Poured a few cold beer in them, and kicked it off. 

  I got my boss drinking from it, we got our vendors. What good sports we had here. We even had a couple of military gents that joined our tent for a beer. Asked them for a favour to play along and take a sip? These guys were absolute fucking beauty’s finishing a boot each. Like I said, the boot. Far from new. Might have been threw a few Stampede’s with god knows what on the ground. Would this new guy do it? Nope. Not a chance. A long lasting tradition ended. Now if only one person took a sip, yea whatever it’d probably die off and think nothing of it. But EVERYONE in the tent is chugging from this thing. C’Mon man, grow a set. We partied the night away at Nashville North again until the wee hours of the morning. 

  I remember waking up with a text from one of our vendors who comes in to town for our event every year. Word for word, “The way that you started the drinking from your boot, was nothing short of heroic. I think you single handedly started a new tradition. Fucking good on ya!”. I didn’t think it was heroic by any means, just a little drunken fun. But looking back now, and what transpired the next night I think we’re onto something. So I did end up back down at our tent the next night as well, and to make a long story short. The boot story from our night before had already gotten around to some of our higher end managers and they ate that shit up. “When’s the boot coming out tonight!”, “Come on Murrant, let’s get that boot going!”. 

 Yup, we definitely started something. You’d think the boot would be soaked. Nope. I walked around with that thing on the rest of the evening, it was bone dry. Doesn’t take much to finish a few beer out of the size 12! One hell of a time. I can go on and on about Stampede. I know these stories are strictly about partying and drinking, but who wants to read a blog about a kid who picked up a duck out of a floating pond and didn’t win a prize? Didn’t think so. Stampede is one if not the greatest party on earth. 

  As I said early on. If you ever get the chance to go, you MUST. Don’t think about it, just get your ass out here! If you’re sitting there thinking well I don’t know anyone out there, or know what to do out there. Stop making excuses. Let’s go! Get your ass out here, you will not be disappointed. If you’ve even made it this far, I commend you. Round of drinks on me when you get out here for the party. All I can say to sum up Stampede. Stampede, man.

-Mike Murrant 

[junker-town]

Why The Open is the best major in golf

There's nothing in golf like The Open. Here's why the 148th edition will be special and worth watching again.

Every major championship has its own identity, but none is stronger than the oldest in golf, The Open. The easy and popular choice for "favorite major" is the Masters. The event at Augusta National has marketed itself perfectly and elevated its importance in what is a relatively short history compared to the other majors. I prefer The Open.

For several reasons -- the identity, how it stands so apart from every other tournament of the season, my own personal interaction and memories -- this is the championship that resonates most with me. I get up for it more than any other major. Here are some of the ways it's the best, most entertaining major in golf.

1. Links weather

It can get a little monotonous for the American golf fan. Sure, there are occasional seaside venues and many courses have a signature hole or quirk. But there are certainly months-long stretches with little variety.

The Open's great appeal is that it presents the players and audience with such a dramatically different venue and style of golf. There's an increased level of creativity often required to succeed -- we've seen Tiger win without ever taking his driver out of the bag, we've seen unknown Todd Hamilton win using a damn hybrid to bump-and-run his way around the greens, and we see winning scores that run the gamut. At Troon, a runaway duel between Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson left us with a winning score at 20-under. The Open rota is mostly predictable set of venues but this year's, Royal Portrush, is an unknown for the pros. It’s the first time The Open has come to Northern Ireland and Portrush since 1951 and it’s sold out, a rarity for this major. The pros may not be familiar with it, but it’s a world-class setup fully capable of hosting and will provide many of those traditional links feels and views we get in Scotland and England.

It's just a totally different style of golf and the weather can change it all from day to day, morning to afternoon and hole to hole. Sure, the big hitters and bombers often still have the advantage that they enjoy at many of the other venues on the season schedule. But at least they have to think about it some more, adapt different parts of their games and get creative at times. There are *options* on almost every shot, especially up around the green.

Many of the courses on The Open rotation have been lengthened, like all the other championship tracks across the world. But these venues still look the same -- you know immediately that you're at The Open. Links golf through the weather is the defining characteristic of an Open Championship and it's rewarding to dive right in for one all-important week each year.

2. Middle-of-the-night golf

Again, a unique aspect of The Open that is part of its charm but would be quite miserable if it went on for more than one week per year. BUT ... it's just one week, so suck it up and embrace the glorious blessing of middle-of-the-night golf. Getting up in the middle of the night to watch every hour of The Open broadcast once let me witness the greatest player-caddie interaction of all time.

The Phil-Bones dynamic made this job more fun. Maybe my favorite Vine ever from '14 Open. #RIPPhil&Bones #RIPVine pic.twitter.com/bCsV8VJiWk

— Brendan Porath (@BrendanPorath) June 20, 2017

You never know what you might get as the rest of your house presumably sleeps. It's a fun party -- social media starts to stir, you know who's up and around and ready to plow through a 14-hour march.

In recent years, ESPN would come on the air around 4 a.m. for the first two rounds. This year, however, Golf Channel and NBC are back again for their fourth straight Open and will run a 50-hour broadcast from the very first tee shot until the conclusion on Sunday afternoon. So we'll do it live dammit! starting around 1:30 a.m. ET on Thursday. You now need to get up three hours earlier than you used to.

Whatever your preferred method is for getting through it -- crashing early Wednesday, or just going out for a late dinner, then staying out and powering through until Thursday afternoon -- make the effort. It's just one week and it becomes a fun personal tradition.

3. The 18th

Fewer and fewer things in golf really get the emotions running high -- so much of it is produced and forced. But the scene at the 18th of The Open never fails. Like so much with the oldest major in golf, it's because you know exactly what you're getting there. The courses may change but the R&A creates an ideal theater at the 18th each year. The only difference, really, is the clubhouse, which can serve as a "back wall.”

Grandstands go deep up the fairway from the area around the green, creating a tunnel of sorts. They also always look the same -- a similar arrangement with the blue-and-yellow scoreboards lording over the scene. It's a tradition and it looks inspiring even empty before Sunday...

Major championships are special, the walk up 18 at @theopen is another level. Sometimes have to stop and enjoy those moments with your dad!

A post shared by Justin Thomas (@justinthomas34) on Jul 15, 2018 at 9:01am PDT

... and then completely chilling when that Sunday comes and the crowds envelope the final group walking up to the green.

"It's the greatest walk in golf."pic.twitter.com/rk1I6xN1i7

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 18, 2017

Every major is going to put up a grandstand at its final hole, but no one sets the scene and does it with such a traditionally consistent look like The Open.

A major championship may not always produce the sexiest winner, but whomever makes that walk up the 18th at Portrush on Sunday will be gripping to watch.

4. The starter

Only at the Open Championship does a 156-player field all go off the same tee for all four rounds. It's just not possible at the U.S. Open or PGA Championship, where they send the full field in groups of three off both the 1st and 10th tees.

At The Open, however, it often stays light out way past 9 p.m. and sometimes pushing 10:30 or so when it's north in Scotland. They start the first and second rounds at 6:30 a.m., and just run everyone off the first tee for almost 11 hours until just after 4 p.m.

Standing guard at the 1st tee for the entire 11 hours, never taking a bathroom break, was always Ivor Robson, the iconic Open starter. Mr. Robson retired four years ago at St. Andrews, so we no longer have his incredibly unique and amusing voice at the start of every single round.

It will take a generation for someone to have the built-in familiarity that Robson had. David Lancaster got the first call for the impossible task of replacing Robson, and he didn't fly solo, unmoved for 11 hours like the great Ivor, but rather had occasional support from a second chair.

5. Pot bunkers

Bunkers, or sand traps if you're so inclined, aren't what they used to be. They're often not that penal for the best in the world, who sometimes even prefer that the ball go in a bunker for an easier up-and-down. At The Open, however, you can count on carnage. The pot bunkers are another tradition that make the golf of The Open so different from what we're used to, and it's fun to watch the best be challenged. Many of these might as well be hazards.

Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports

6. Gorse

A word that's really only used, and used constantly, at The Open. It's junk, schmutz, jail, death. These are the plants so thick that once your ball goes off line and lands in them, you'll have trouble just finding it. There are fewer of these gorse bushes at Portrush but there are large swaths of unkempt and unplayable fescue and wildflower fields Playing it and making a swing is often not really an option. So much like the bunkers, these are unofficial hazards. You don't need ponds and lakes everywhere to force big numbers on a scorecard.

7. The outfits

Your browser does not support iframes.

Yeahhh, the outfits from past decades at the other majors look questionable and can be jolting in retrospect. But the players tend to get a little more creative at The Open, going for some amalgam of modern and edgy gear that's also a nod to the history in the home of golf. This was Rory McIlroy's getup at Carnoustie in 2007 -- not some mid-70s tournament, although there's an overflowing library of those, too. A mock turtle, deep V sweater and white pants.

The weather always forces the players to layer up and all the #brands want to display their best, most innovative or iconoclastic stuff. What you get is a four-day adventure in style.

8. The Claret Jug

I am biased. If you've read this far, you understand that I love almost everything about the way The Open stands out from the others. So I am sure there will be some objections in some quarters ... buuuut the Claret Jug is the best trophy in sports. There are only one or two active trophies that are older, and it's the oldest in golf. There's nothing incredibly ostentatious about it. It's relatively small, has an actual utilitarian purpose and is the most sought-after trophy in the game. The presentation of the jug, as the R&A chief drones "champion golfer of the year," is another goosebumps moment at the end of this event.

You can have your green jacket. I want to put $40,000 bottles of wine in my jug like Phil Mickelson.

* * *

There are so many little quirks that separate The Open from every other event in golf. A first tee start or a logo or a trophy all taken individually seem minor and unnoticeable. But the combination of all these differences and touches make The Open what it is, and that's the best major in golf. The course, the players, the time of day, the broadcast, the history ... there are so many things, both subtle and conspicuous, that make up a major's identity. The combination at the modern-day Open make it the most fun in golf.

[emilyzh2019-blog]

Travel Photography Gear Guide

Travel Photography Gear

I’ve been working as a travel photographer & blogger for 9 years, so I get a lot of questions about what kind of travel photography gear I use. Take a peek inside my camera bag!

Now, when you’re reading through this list, please keep in mind that I’m a working professional. I carry a lot of gear these days. More than I started with.

Most travelers don’t need backup cameras, drones, and multiple lenses.

If you’re just interested in a good portable camera for traveling, make sure to check out my complete guide to the best travel cameras for every budget.

I also share some more budget-friendly gear options at the end of this post. Enjoy!

My Travel Photography Gear (2019)

Shooting in Italy with my Sony A7R III

Sony A7R III – Main Camera Body

I was a Canon fanboy for years and started my backpacking adventures back in 2010 with the Canon 7D. However, when Sony came out with their smaller (and superior) mirrorless A7 line, I made the switch.

Since then I’ve been using Sony cameras & lenses for the past 4 years.

Sony’s camera & sensor technology is often ahead of its competitors these days — in fact, even Nikon uses Sony sensors in their cameras!

The Sony A7R III is built for high-end landscape photography with a massive 42.4-megapixel full-frame sensor. This sensor is HUGE! But the camera body isn’t, which is pretty incredible.

Frankly, this is far too much camera for most travelers though.

If you’d like examples of more budget-friendly options, make sure to read my tips for choosing the perfect travel camera.

My Travel Camera Lenses

Sony 16-35mm F2.8 – Wide Angle Lens

The 16-35mm F2.8 is the lens that’s on my camera 75% of the time. As a landscape photographer, I love shooting wide to capture as much of a big landscape as possible.

But you can also get decent portraits out of it zoomed in to 35mm and stopped down to F2.8. This lens works well for night and star photography too.

There is a less expensive version of this, the Sony 16-35mm F4 which is another decent option too.

Sony 24-70mm F2.8 – Medium Zoom Lens

Occasionally I need a little more reach. Or, I only have space for one lens (like on bigger hiking trips), and want the best of both worlds.

The 24-70mm F2.8 isn’t quite as wide, but often wide enough for most landscapes. With the added ability to zoom in to small subjects far away, or to compress the background making mountains “look” bigger.

This is also my go-to portrait lens for taking photos of people!

Sony FE 70-200mm F4 – Telephoto Zoom

The 70-200mm F4 is my wildlife photography lens. I don’t use it that often, and don’t bring it along on every trip either. If weight is an issue, it’s usually the first to be left behind.

But if I have a particular shot in mind that requires a telephoto, I’ll bring it.

By adding a Sony 2X extension on it, I can up the range to 400mm (which is great for safari photography).

My Backup Camera: Sony A6500

Sony A6500 – Backup Mirrorless Camera

For a long time, I only traveled with one main camera. But as I began working professional photography gigs, I realized that a backup camera was a wise investment.

When you’ve been hired for a photography project that pays 5-figures, the last thing you want is an accident or malfunction to leave you without any useable images for the client!

The Sony A6500 works with all my other Sony lenses, plus I use it as a portable vlogging camera.

It has a cropped (smaller) sensor, but has many of the same functions as my larger A7R III.

I also use it for shooting time-lapses while I’m working on other things, with help from Sony’s internal time-lapse software.

Sony 10-18mm F4 – Wide Vlogging Lens

The 10-18mm F4 is a cropped sensor lens that stays attached to my Sony A6500 body. It’s nice and wide for shooting selfie-style vlogging video, with fast autofocus.

Capture the Action with a GoPro!

GoPro Hero 7 – Action Camera

I’ve been using a GoPro since I started traveling 9 years ago. I’ve owned almost all the models! Currently, I travel with the GoPro Hero 7.

GoPro cameras are great at capturing hands-free action or “b-roll” and you can attach them to almost anything. Plus, they are waterproof and shockproof!

I use my GoPro for surfing, mountain biking, hiking, snowboarding, snorkeling, scuba diving, cliff jumping, interior and exterior moving-vehicle footage, and more.

GoPro Camera Accessories

Just owning a GoPro is not enough to get great images and video. The magic of these cameras is in the multitude of accessories that are available for them!

Handheld sticks, suction cups, clamps, head straps, mouth mounts — so many unique ways to attach a GoPro to something and get amazing footage.

Check out my complete guide to the best GoPro accessories for travel.

Traveling with a Drone

DJI Mavic 2 Pro – Flying Drone

The perfect tool for capturing aerial photography and video, while costing much less than renting a helicopter! Drones have really come a long way.

I couldn’t be happier with the new DJI Mavic 2 Pro (read my full review here).

It flies super fast, is extremely reliable, and shoots some very high-quality photos and video. Not to mention it folds up to fit in my carry-on bag!

The 360-degree sensors help stop you from running into things while flying, so you can concentrate on the shot. Active track and intelligent flight modes can do a lot of the work for you.

Remote Controller Sun Shade

I don’t own a bunch of accessories for my drone, but one important one is the DJI Mavic Sunshade. This allows me to see what I’m shooting on my iPhone screen, even in bright sunlight.

DJI Car Charger

Another drone accessory I bring with me on road trips is the car-charging adapter for DJI Mavic batteries. This ensures I always have a fresh battery ready to fly during epic travel photography road trips!

Peek Inside My Camera Backpack!

My Camera Bags

LowePro Whistler 350 – Camera Backpack

It took me a while to find a great camera backpack that I really loved, and I went through many different ones.

I finally found a winner in the LowePro Whistler 350. It holds everything I need it to, sits comfortably on my back, and has the perfect amount of weatherproofing and gear straps to tackle my typical outdoor adventures.

You can strap on a tripod, snowboard, hiking poles, ice-ax — anything really. While it comes with a rain cover, you really don’t need it because the bag itself is so water-resistant anyway.

There’s a dedicated laptop pocket, room for a jacket and snacks, plus it opens from the back for easy access on the ground. When the bag is fully loaded, it weighs about 24 lbs (11kg).

LowePro TopLoader Pro – Small Camera Bag

This is a smaller top-loading shoulder bag that’s large enough for a single full-size camera with a zoom lens.

You can also cram a 2nd lens into the side pocket if needed (or a GoPro, etc.).

I use this bag specifically for long-distance trekking adventures, where I need to carry a regular hiking backpack filled with food, clothing, and camping gear.

This little camera bag attaches up front to the backpack straps on my chest, for easy access to my camera and a balanced load for hiking long distances.

I use this setup when I need to travel light with a minimum amount of camera gear in the backcountry.

Lightweight Travel Tripods

My Camera Tripods

RRS TQC-14 – Full-Size Tripod

As a landscape photographer, a solid yet lightweight travel tripod is a key piece of my photography equipment.

I use my RRS TQC-14 to stabilize the camera in low light situations and with high f-stop settings (for maximum focus range). It allows me to get shots I just can’t achieve hand-held.

Sunsets, sunrises, the northern lights, star photography, and motion blurred waterfalls are just some of the situations where having a tripod is important.

I also use it to film myself for vlogs, as well as to shoot travel selfies when I’m hiking on my own. There are cheaper tripods out there though too, which I share in my guide to the best travel tripods.

Joby Gorillapod – Mini-Tripod

If I need to travel super light, for example on a long-distance camping & trekking adventure that will last multiple days, then I sometimes pack the Joby Gorillapod 5K instead of my full-size tripod.

At only 1.55 lbs, this thing is tiny. But the bendy legs allow you to attach it to objects for a higher perspective too. It’s strong enough to hold my large camera and works great as a “selfie stick” for shooting video too.

L-Bracket

This piece of metal attaches to the bottom of my large camera and allows for very quick changes from a landscape angle to portrait mode (long photos to tall photos) on my tripod. 

In today’s Instagram world, where the 8×10 ratio is important, I try to shoot images of key locations in both landscape and portrait perspectives. I use the landscape style in my blog posts, and portrait style for social media (because they display better on smartphones).

Some of my Camera Accessories

Important Travel Camera Accessories

Peak Design Capture – Camera Clip

I love this thing so much! Basically, the Peak Design Capture Clip allows you to “clip” your camera onto your belt, or on the shoulder straps of a backpack, for easy access (and to keep your hands free).

I use it constantly for day hiking, walking around cities, and basically, anywhere I know I’ll want quick access to my camera. While I still use a camera strap sometimes, this is the primary way I carry my camera. You can even run with it!

HINT: If you have a larger camera, the Peak Design Pro Pad makes carrying it on your belt MUCH more comfortable.

Peak Design Leash – Camera Strap

When I’m not using my Peak Design camera clip mentioned above, I snap on this Peak Design Leash Camera Strap and sling it around my shoulders it like you’d wear a rifle.

The Peak Design system allows me to quickly remove the strap if it’s getting in the way, or snap it back on. Adjusting the strap length is also super fast. It’s pretty minimal and doesn’t take up much room in a bag. 

External Microphones

For video, the internal microphones on cameras just aren’t very good. In fact, they’re pretty terrible. Because audio is SO important for creating a good video, I pack two different external microphones.

One is the Sennheiser MKE 400 Shotgun, which goes on the top of my camera. Great quality, and very small.

The other is the Tascam DR-TL Lavalier. This goes on my body, so I can get great audio even if the camera is far away, the room has a lot of echoes, or if it’s super windy out.

Hotshoe Flash

I own a Sony F43M flash, although I rarely take it with me on trips unless it’s for something very specific. Like maybe cave photography or nightlife.

LED Video Light

This tiny but powerful Aputure ALM9 LED Light mounts to the camera’s hot-shoe and allows me to shoot video at night. It takes up almost no space and can be recharged via USB cable.

Camera Lens Filters

Lens filters help you achieve certain photography effects that just aren’t possible with software yet. Think of them as sunglasses for your camera.

I carry a Hoya Fusion One Polarizing Filter to help reduce glare & reflections on water, glass (like through helicopter windows), and to darken up the blues and clouds in a sky.

I also carry a Tiffen Variable ND Filter (neutral density) which cuts down the amount of light going into the camera to different degrees, depending on how much you spin it. Why? To create special effects like motion blur in a waterfall, even when it’s sunny outside.

Wireless Intervalometer/Remote

One of my favorite pieces of gear is the Pixel TW-283 Wireless Remote & Intervalometer. This allows me to shoot time-lapses, or take photos of myself from up to 100 ft away from the camera.

You can set the timer to take photos all night while you sleep if you want to! They make different versions for different brands of camera.

Memory Cards

Because I shoot in RAW, with very large camera files, I use very fast memory cards. I own a mixture of Sony High-Performance 64GB and ScanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB class 10 cards which read/write at around 300 mb/s. 

Spare Batteries

There is nothing worse than running out of battery power during an epic photography moment! That’s why I always carry spare batteries for my cameras.

I pack 3 batteries for my Sony A7R III, 2 for the A6500, 2-3 for the Mavic Pro, and 2 for my GoPro.

Portable Hard Drives

I travel with an Apple Macbook Pro 13″ with a 1TB SDD, which is usually plenty of room for the images & video I shoot on any given trip.

To back that up, I also pack a super small 2TB Scandisk Extreme Portable SSD. Once I get back “home”, I move everything over to a larger desktop RAID system.

Camera Rain Cover

Have you ever shot photos under a waterfall? Your camera will get soaked! While my Sony A7R III has decent weather sealing, in super bad weather, or under waterfalls, I throw on my Peak Design Shell Rain Cover.

Cold Weather Protection

I bought a cold-weather jacket for my camera last year, for a few winter projects I was working on. One camping on the ice in Manitoba, and the other snowmobiling through Russia.

It keeps your camera, batteries, lens, and your hands nice and toasty while shooting outdoors in below-zero temperatures.

Clear Accessory Pouches

I own a few Think Tank Camera Accessory Pouches to keep all my cables, battery chargers, and GoPro Accessories organized. The clear sides allow me to quickly figure out what’s inside.

Camera Maintenance Stuff

Camera Cleaning & Maintenance

Microfiber Lens Cloths

There’s nothing worse than a foggy or smudged camera lens! I pack no less than 3 of these 3M Microfiber Lens Cloths on every trip. Two go in my camera bag, one goes in my pocket for easy access. 

I always end up losing them too, so it never hurts to have more than you need laying around.

Air Blower

The problem with changing your lenses on mirrorless cameras is that the mirror is exposed to the elements, and they’re a magnet for dust. Dust on your sensor leaves you with “dust spots” on your photos (or worse, video).

A few quick bursts of air with this Camera Air Blower on your sensor can help clear that dust away.

Sticky Sensor Stick

When the air blower doesn’t work, and the dust on my sensor is too stubborn to blow away, I break out the big guns, my Eyelead Sensor Stick. It’s kind of like a gummy bear on a stick that pulls the dust away.

Budget-Friendly Camera Kit Examples

Yes, I own a lot of camera gear now. But that wasn’t always the case.

When I first started traveling, all I used was a Canon 7D, a wide angle zoom lens, a tripod, and a GoPro.

If you are still new to travel and adventure photography, don’t get discouraged by this giant list of gear-porn that I’ve accumulated over the years!

I do this professionally and make decent money, so I can afford to go a little crazy.

For those of you traveling on a tighter budget, I’ve put together my ideal “starter travel photography kits” below — which won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

The Minimalist Backpacker Kit

Sony RX100 VA – Compact Point & Shoot

Joby Gorillapod 3K – Compact Tripod

Travel Photography Enthusiast Kit

Sony A6500 – Compact Mirrorless

Sony 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 – Travel Zoom Lens

Manfrotto BeFree – Aluminum Travel Tripod

LowePro Slingshot Edge – Mirrorless Camera Bag

Improving Your Travel Photography

Ok! That was a big post. But people kept asking about my gear, so there you go. :)

However please remember that gear isn’t everything.

The best way to improve your travel photography is to practice as much as possible and learn new skills.

Even after 9 years doing this, I’m still constantly learning techniques to get better.

First, if you don’t already edit your photos using software like Adobe Lightroom, I highly recommend you start.

For more quick and cheap ways to improve your travel photography, no matter what gear you use, make sure to read my full article here. ★

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READ MORE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY ARTICLES

How To Choose The Best Travel Camera Ultimate Adventure Travel Gear Guide Best GoPro Accessories For Travel DJI Mavic Pro Drone Review

Have any questions about my travel photography gear? What do you pack in your camera bag? Drop me a message in the comments below!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

[wenminliang-blog]

Updated:2018

If you are travelling with only a cabin baggage, packing for your trips could be a little challenging. I recently got back from a conference called TBEX (the first time I attended it was in Costa Brava) and also took a trip to Romania recently. I knew there would be a lot of travelling involved and that I would need to be in touch with people as well as be connected to the internet; so I wanted to make sure that my phone would not give up on me by mid-day itself. As a result, I did a bit of planning beforehand and made sure I was carrying a few useful travel accessories with me. Towards the end of my trip, I realized what a wise decision I had made to buy a few of these things, and I’ll get to that detail in just a little bit. But, yes, I wanted to share my experience with all of you and let you know about the travel accessories I found to be most helpful. So, here are some travel accessories you can consider packing when planning your trip:

Note- Some of the products listed have affiliate links. If you do decide to buy anything from Amazon and go through these links, I would earn a very small commission that would be used towards maintaining this blog.

  1. Powerbank- As my smartphone has a weak battery backup by now, I knew I didn’t want to be in a situation where I  could be potentially stranded without a mode of connection to the world. So, I decided to buy a power bank on Amazon, after surveying the local markets and coming across mostly expensive things. The one that I ordered online could charge two devices at the same time, once you had fully charged it overnight or so. I found it to be super convenient, as I was using my phone quite a lot for taking quick notes, pictures, looking up details, maps,etc. As expected, it would often start giving up by the afternoon or early evening, and I was glad I could just charge it while moving around, without having to look for a plug point in a cafe.

US visitors can check it out and order it from here. 

2.Bookcase for my phone– For a long time, I had wanted to buy a flip case for my phone, which would also let me keep some cards or cash. At times, it is really difficult to keep looking for my wallet in my bag filled with hundreds of things, and taking out the card or cash frequently. I bought such a case when I was first visiting Barcelona a few years ago and decided to keep one of my debit cards in it while the rest of my things were in my wallet. THIS, my friends, was one of the wisest decisions I made, as my wallet brilliantly got stolen in a metro, and I luckily had my debit card to use for the rest of the journey, and specially to buy the next ticket!

US visitors, check this out for an idea.

3. Trip organizer app– Since I was getting bogged down by the numerous bookings and plans I was making, I wanted to put everything together, and wanted to be able to find addresses and all my plans easily while hopping from one place to another. So, I decided to try out TripIt. I had also won access to the TripRider app in a giveaway, so I tried using it too. However, since Tripit was collecting all my flight details and booking confirmations from my mail directly, I just decided to go ahead with it. I had signed up for the free version, but if you sign up for TripitPro, you can avail of even better services and get continuous updates about your flights, delays and other things. For me, it was convenient to put everything together on my account and take a printout of my entire itinerary, having all details and directions for every place I would be staying at, and the tours/meetings/plans that were confirmed. Of course, you can get all those details on your app too, but I wanted a hard copy, just to be safe.

4.Internet sim card– I generally depend on free wifi while travelling, as my current phone plan would charge me an unbelievable 19 CHF/MB while roaming (the last time I checked). But, as I mentioned earlier, I knew this time I might have a greater need of internet access, as I used Couchsurfing,AirBnB, hostel as well as a hotel for accommodation and was sure that I would have to call up some people and get in touch. I wanted to have the option of checking Google Maps whenever necessary, look up the internet for updates regarding my travel plans, check and reply to emails, and post updates.So, I was glad I came across MTX Connect. This sim card, which is delivered for free to you, provides internet access while roaming in 25+ countries in Europe, and they are expanding their coverage. They have a few internet plans that you can choose from and recharge online. People can choose to buy a 1 GB package for 30 days, or unlimited data for 24 hours (incase you are planning on working). If you just need access to check the map or your emails, you could also take the 100 MB plan for 24 hours, or just go with the pay-as-you-go model. You would just need to select a local service provider in your settings, each time you move countries. Even though all the setup instructions come along with the sim and are given on their site, I had a bit of a confusion while I tried setting it up in Spain. However, their support team is very quick and helpful, and they helped me via email instantly (while I used wifi ofcourse). Another good thing is that the credit on your account is valid for a year.So, even if you did not use all the money after recharging, you could use it for another package the next time you travelled. MTX helped me get in touch with people who would be hosting me, look up maps and details, post social media updates, be connected to the world and also most importantly, it helped me immediately look up emergency numbers and make calls to block cards, etc when disaster struck.

  Since 2015, I have been using MTX on most of my short trips in Europe.  This was in Portugal:

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The view from my window

Lisbon is a beautiful hilly city and I& loving the vibe! To get to the castle atop a hill,take the iconic tram 28 and see some of the best views on the way.

A post shared by Menorca@EuropeDiaries (@europediariesblog) on Nov 6, 2017 at 10:39am PST

  Or you can get a Wifi Hotspot device like My Webspot which gives you 5 GB data each day. this works the best if you are travelling in a group for instance or need constant internet access. I used this in the Czech Republic recently and was glad to be able to work with internet access even on 3-hour long train journeys.

  View this post on Instagram

When you walk into a beautiful part of a railway station and just stop to stare…Do you recall any other beautiful train/subway stations when you didn’t expect to be surprised by the architecture? Stockholm comes to my mind too!

A post shared by Menorca@EuropeDiaries (@europediariesblog) on Jul 31, 2018 at 10:44am PDT

5. Packing Cubes –  These really make a difference in your packing. I feel much more organized and seem to fit in more things in my cabin baggage while using some packing cubes. Definitely, give these a shot.

6. E-Book reader

Besides, for people who like to read, but find it difficult to carry thick books in their cabin baggage, a Kindle or an e-book reader is not a bad idea(even though I am not a big fan of e-books).

7. Safety belts and wallets-

One of my friends once had a waterproof wallet from Jack Wolfskin, that I thought could be safe to use while camping or travelling in the monsoons. Of course, please be careful of your wallets and passport while travelling. Split up the important things and keep them in different places. Maybe using a safety pouch under your shirt would not be a bad idea.

  Here are some of the best Anti-Theft bags . 

  Leave a comment telling me about your Europe travel plans!

  Merken

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