#to gain more friends or followers. i don't exactly make content as consistently as i did before

[sealovinq]

i need friends /gen (slight rant in tags)

[gloomysoup]

Gloomysoup Updates:

i've come to the realization that i posted exactly One (1) thing ab kinktober a few weeks ago and then never said anything ab it again.. oops. ima be honest i kinda forgot..

i will finish organizing and have something resembling a masterlist for the month up here in the next few days. it may change as the month progresses, depending on what my work schedule looks like, but i will hopefully be able to stay on track and actually post real content 🫡

i'm also hoping to start getting some one shots up that i've been working on, but those will likely go up starting in november, cross-posted on both tumblr and ao3. i have a few half-finished things i've been playing around with and getting feedback from friends on.

ALSO per my chaptered fic ideas:

typically i wait until i have the whole thing almost finished before i do much else with it, however i'm anxious to get things posted sooner rather than later. i know i've gained quite a few followers thru my little peeks at bts of several wips. i've been posted snippets on and off for a while now without actually giving any real content... and honestly i feel really bad ab it. i appreciate the traction i've gotten on this app and i really do want to give everyone what they came here for, despite how i may feel ab putting things out there right now.

i have a few wips that are making decent progress. i have a handle of first chapters almost completed. i MAY start posting them here in the near future, mainly with fics i already have fully plotted out. the others are still being worked out plot wise and i don't trust myself to stick w original ideas enough to post them anytime soon, but i may be able to get first chapters of secrets, stepdads, and daycare out once i'm satisfied with where they wrap up.

all this being said, my work schedule lately has been super fucked up. everything is a big mess and there's little consistency in anything. by the time i get home, i'm completely drained and usually go straight to bed just to get up and do it all again the next morning. we're severely understaffed and the owners are expecting those of us on day shift to pick up evening shift's slack every single time (as if we're not already there all day doing our jobs AND theirs, they expect us to do it on days we're supposed to be off). it also doesn't help that i'm still living w my parents in a sort of toxic environment and desperately trying to get out.

thankfully, things should be getting smoothed out soon. i'm hoping to make more progress on writing and getting things posted as soon as possible. i promise i'm trying. if you've stuck around this long, thank you. i truly appreciate all of you.

that's all for now. keep your eyes out for more updates and master lists to come :)

- gloomysoup

[june2734]

The Short Lived Golden Age of Nerdy Web Shows

There was a time between the years of, let's say, 2007 to 2015 that I like to call the golden age of nerdy web shows. It consisted of a lot of small low to no budget productions that had a lot of heart, the kind you just don't see very often anymore for some reason. Many of these show have found a dedicated home on streaming services like The Fantasy Network, some have even gained enough steam to be featured on big name services like Netflix and Amazon like The Guild and LARPs The series respectively. I'm not exactly sure why the web show trend died out so hard, maybe the crowds just aren't there for them anymore like they use to be with some many pieces of high budget productions on streaming services vying for their attention. Every once and a while I'll jump onto Google to try and find new web shows that have that same heart and feel but rarely if ever do I come up with anything. As far as I can tell the only place new nerdy low to mid budget web shows or films gets any attention is at GenCon or small streaming services like The Fantasy Network. Who knows if there will ever be another nerdy heartfelt web show created that captures the spirit of those old series I hold so dear to my heart, but regardless if it happens or not I'd like to bring some attention to a few of my favorites. They may be old by the standards of the internet and maybe even cheesy by today's standards, but I really think they were something special and if you give them a shot maybe you'll think so too. If you have any others that you think would fit in with shows like this feel free to let me know.

The Gamers: Hands Of Fate

Zombie Orpheus Entertainment use to be one of my favorite channels for nerdy fantasy related content back in the day. You could always see the quality and passion that they put into every piece of content they out out on their channel. They're still around today but they've shifted their focus to other ventures such as the ever popular trend of live streaming table top games rather then making scripted content. That being said their old stuff is still well worth a watch and The Gamers series, particularly The Gamers: Hands of Fate, is some of their best work they’ve ever put out. The series centers around a group of table top gamers(the same that can be found in most of the other The Gamers creations by ZOE), particularly the character by the name of Cass, as he steps into the world of one extremely popular card game hopes of impressing a woman who's a huge fan of it. But this is seemingly simple premise is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this series. The show also features a secondary narrative that involves the characters that actually exist in the card game as as the players decisions in the real world effect their lives and leads one character, Buckstahue(not sure if I’m spelling that right), in particular to start questioning what mysterious forces are controlling their lives. The show is a real treat filled with twists and turns I never saw coming, it's fascinating seeing how the real world actions of this card game effects the card characters lives as well as question if and when Buckstahue will figure out what strings control her actions. The stories surrounding the other characters in the party might not be as engaging but they are by no means a weak point of the series either, many of their subplots are engaging in their own rights and pay off certain character moments established in proper The Gamers creations. If this peaks your interest then the series can still be found on Zombie Orpheus's Youtube channel or as a movie on The Fantasy Network. ZOE had pivoted more towards live streaming as opposed to the scripted content of their past but I'd love to see more content from The Gamers one day. Source

LARPs The Series

LARPs The Series first premiered at GenCon 2014 and took home the award for Best Independent Series. The year after it was picked up by Geek and Sundry as a part of a push for more scripted content on the channel which was where I and many others first got a chance to watch it. When the short trailer for popped up on the G&S channel everything about it screamed that I was absolutely going to love it, and I wasn’t wrong. The series centers around a 4 man party of larpers (AKA Live Action Role Players) by the names of Will, Brittany, Arthur and Sam and their DM (Dungeon Master) Evan as we follow their lives in and out of the game. The show is surprisingly heartfelt and sympathetic towards the characters involved in this often misunderstood and mocked hobby as it shows how larping enriches their often turbulent lives and connects them all as friends on a deep and meaningful level. These characters felt real and you really rooted for them as they deal with, work, relationships and the many other hurtles of adult life as they wait eagerly to gear up for whatever peril might befall them in their next campaign session. The show was also pretty hilarious, seeing them play out classic predicaments that any party, whether they be larpers or table top roleplayers, have experienced such as one player trying to roll to kill a tavern owner or romances between PCs were always a joy to watch unfold.  Another thing that most will notice right away is how the production value and direction are surprisingly astounding as well, especially in season 2. I was shocked by just how much quality was put into the show from the costumes and sets as well as from a writing standpoint. If you're interested in checking out the show then it can be found on Amazon Prime but they can also still be viewed for free on YouTube or in The Fantasy Network. Beanduck, the production company behind LARPs The series, is working towards a funding campaign in hopes of earning enough to produce a third season so if you have any spare change you might want to toss it their way in support. Regardless if you decide to help or not, LARPs The Series is a show that I think any nerdy individual will enjoy. Source

Glitch

Glitch was another show produced by the team over at Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, but it never seemed to get the same kind of love as many of their other productions. The concept was brilliant: What if one day you woke up and found out your life operated on the logic of video games? Well this is the predicament that a programing temp nicknamed Glitch finds himself in. Most episodes of the show centered around particular game mechanics causing problems in his and his friends lives and how he tries to figure out ways to work around or fix problems they've created. Glitch, Wyatt and Samus were all fantastic characters and it was always fun seeing Glitch trying to work through some real world problem with game logic like trying to flirt with a woman he likes using a conversation wheel like in Mass Effect or figuring out how to "defeat" his boss at work who he see's as an actual game boss. Another thing I liked about the show was how the characters really felt like real people I knew, they played games on the couch, debated about which Sci-Fi starship captains were the best, and they grilled each other in nerdy ways while working in slang from their favorite bits of nerd culture into their daily vocabulary. I always hoped that ZOE would eventually put out a second season but unfortunately for whatever reason that never became a reality. Now days the channel that originally hosted Glitch has changed their name to Burger Orchard and rarely if ever uploads anything, but luckily those original episodes of Glitch can still be found on their. Give it a watch, it's short but sweet and if you really enjoyed the show a lot there are little companion shorts that can also be found on the channel. Source

The Street Fighter

The Game Station was an early find for me back in my early college days, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I shaved away many hours watching all kinds of gaming related content on that channel instead of studying for exams. One production, created by one of the channels founders Layne Pavoggi, which came out in late 2011 and was a cut above much their already fantastic content was a short lived series was called The Street Fighter. The series centered around a single dad by the name of Phil who has just lost his job and decides to take up a short career as a professional Street Fighter player to provide for his son as well as keep his mind off of the stressful and highly competitive job market. This a real underdog story that’s extremely reminiscent of old sports 80s films where the protagonist has everything working against them, with that being said you might think that such a trope filled narrative would make things a little predictable and you wouldn’t be wrong but there’s still plenty to love since this concept has really never been explored with videogame to my knowledge. Phil is a guy you’d be hard pressed not to warm up to, especially when you see him interacting with his preteen son Ryan or his best friend/semi love interest Camile (played by former All That star and all around spectacular person Lisa Foiles). Seeing him trying to make his way into the job market, taking odd jobs here and there just to try and get by while also playing Street Fighter to destress and become better for the sake of winning a competition for money to support his son really makes to root for him through all of it. One aspect of the show that I really this is fantastic is how it feels truly authentic to the FGC (Fighting Game Community) when it comes to talking about all of the technical aspects of play Street Fighter on a competitive level. There are moments when Phil goes into detail about his “bread and butter” combos or talks about different strategies when it comes to taking on different characters compared to his main. The show was short lived but it can still be found on The Game Stations channel, if you’re looking for a heartfelt underdog story then I highly recommend giving The Street Fighter a shot. Source

Versus Valerie

Versus Valerie is a bit of series finale for a fictional character created by Hannah Spear for the character more commonly known as the Sexy Nerd Girl on her YouTube channel. Even if you didn't watch the characters vlogs over the years leading up to the web series I still think you'll find something to enjoy in this extremely charming show. It centers around Valerie Lapomme, the titular Sexy Nerd Girl, as she lives life hanging out with with her best friend Guy, shopping for comic books, going on dates, vlogging, and trying to make something of herself as a mid 20 something living in Toronto. The brilliant thing about this series is how each episode is structured like or makes homage to popular shows, films and games such as Star Wars, Doctor Who, Memento, and The Matrix just to name a few. On top of that the show is surprisingly well produced and written for something that spawned from a fictional vlog series, Valarie and Guy are much more fleshed out and all the characters including them have some really fantastic character arcs and moments in the show. Valerie’s awkwardness and extremely nerdy imagination felt embracingly relatable to me personally since I often imagine different situations in my life in relation to my own nerdy fandoms. What I was often taken aback by when I first watched the show years ago was just how enjoyable all of the episodes were in their own special way, and the pay off of it all really feels like a proper satisfying ending to the strange and imaginative journey we’ve been on with Valerie. If it peaks your interest at all then you can still find the full series on the Veruse Valerie YouTube channel as well as some of the vlogs prior to the series on the Sexy Nerd Girl channel as well. It’s well worth a viewing and aside from the fantastic lead characters of Guy and Valerie the show also managed to grab Mark Meer as a supporting character, aka the voice of COMMANDER MOTHER F^*$(^% SHEPARD BABY!!!  Source

[the-nysh]

I find myself unable to think of Bakugou in any way more positive than "dislike", because he reminds me too much of the people who made my life miserable when I was growing up. (Not that it makes him bad; it's just my emotions.) Do you've any advice on how to bend my mind around that? I don't need to LOVE him, just mentally separate "him" and "the people who make grade school suck for me" so I won't irrationally hate him, because I don't LIKE hating characters.

Hi there! I’m glad to see you come forward, especially tosomeone who’s a big fan of him, after happening to see how far you’veventured through my tags already (whoa dedication!) to seek possible answers or further clarity about this,especially if it’s something that’s still bothering you, oraffecting/preventing you from fully enjoying the series. Because of that, I cantell how serious and genuine you feel about this, so I will take this seriouslyas well. 

(Below, 1800+ words)

Another thing is that it’s okay to feel this way, your personal experiences are still valid,and there’s no obligation to force your feelings otherwise, or subject yourselfto content that may be uncomfortable for you. Please continue to take all theprecautions needed (blocking/blacklisting) for an enjoyable and productivefandom experience. But understanding that even if the characters may havecoincidental similarities to our pasts, they are not direct projections of us, the people in our lives, or our realities.Their world is not ours. So this awareness is another good step to have, tobegin seeing the story (and characters) more openly, objectively and closer tohow Hori originally intended.

Since you’re willing to learn more, and as you may have already seenfrom my content here, Bakugou (Kacchan)became my definitive fav character of the series, but not for thoselingering resentments mentioned. The compelling character I see is so much morebeyond that first ch’s established baseline, which was narratively placed and designedto contrast against who he becomes later on. As a means to gauge and appreciatehis growth and the journey of how far he’s changed into becoming a proper,well-rounded, better person and inspirationalhero. The kind of emotional narrativefocus that always gains my interest and priority to see develop. Already, theperson he is now at 215+ chs is not the same as who he was at ch1 (neither ishe the flanderized, fanon stereotype many have been misled or indoctrinated tofirmly believe he is), and he will keepon developing as the story marches on. I am fully on board to witness thathappen. 

The challenge now, is not letting his initial baseline impression(or the feelings from your own separate –but equally valid– experiences, oreven the vitriol from others) stain or cloud that entire slow-burn progressionof the story going forward. Otherwise the important milestones and insightsinto his character that Hori leaves along the way (which can sometimes bedifficult to see from Deku’s limited pov) end up getting obscured, ignored, oroutright rejected from an internalized feeling of ‘hatred’ that tends to blockout anything newly introduced that would challenge that preconceived perceptionof him. However, to mentally reject such change and prevent the valuedimprovement of a growing person (a learning child in his formative years, forinstance), to otherwise keep the status quo static and unmoving, to permanentlystay rooted exactly the same way as thestart…would in fact be a much more toxic/harmful mindset to have, and actuallydefeats the purpose of telling a proper story as well. 

Setbacks to that challenge unfortunately include thewidespread availability of biased mistranslations (even from official sources),poor/oversimplified characterizations from non-canon content(movies/novels/merch, etc) that’s not written directly by Hori, because all thesethings just reinforce and exacerbate the problem of inflating fanon stereotypesand those preconceived notions that people have already solidified in theirminds as true (when they often aren’t). It gets even worse, and ironicallyhypocritical, when those same people start feeling justified they can go out oftheir way to attack others (includingthe author) for how to ‘properly’ enjoy and interpret the series (for beingdifferent or ‘incorrect’ from the perceptions they believe to be right). Butwhat’s happened is they’ve begun to blindly act on feelings multiple levels sofar removed from what actually is (whatexists as presented within canon, vs what they believe in fanon, vs what exists separately that may beplaguing these people’s real lives), that by then, that kind of maladjustedsocial behavior is inexcusable. Stepping back and realizing when things start crossinglines irrationally out of hand, to prevent that kind of behavior from happeningin the first place, (and again, by taking measures to block/blacklist stuff thataggravates or makes you feel uncomfortable), is the much wiser approach toparticipating and enjoying fandom. So that no matter what happens or what otherssay, they can’t impact or ruin what you love about the series.

Which in my case, includes Kacchan’s character. Basedon what Hori has consistently presented in canon, I can conclude and freely admithe’s the only character I can fully trust. Amazing, right? Because he hasabsolutely nothing to hide. Everything he does (not through his harshwords/temperament, but through his genuine actions),is extremely forthright and honest. He does not half-ass things or hide anyother ulterior motives or malicious intent beyond his dedication to become the best hero. And he takes that goal very seriously. Striving for and expectingexcellence from himself (and all themental pressure that self-imposed perfectionism brings) and others. Currently in the manga that includes Deku now too, whomhe willingly goads (showing support in his own way) and checks in on for hisprogress too.

Remember his fights in the sports tournament, how he takesall challengers with equal commitment/opportunity (gender does not matter),provided they give him their best inturn as well, because to do otherwise –to go easy on them or hold back– wouldbe disrespectful and underestimating an opponent. There’s a very just and admirablehonor in that. Remember how he can’tstand anyone looking down on him, which includes how he misinterpreted Deku’sfeelings of admiration for disdain(he could not accurately read Deku’s intentions, and became so perplexed by himthat he assumed the worst: that Deku looked down on him instead). Considering the level of seriousness and effort he alwaysputs forth, to be confronted with the opposite would be personally insulting.

Remember when the villains invited him to join their ranks(because they misread and shallowly judged his character), he stuck to his idealsand outright refused their offer.(Boldly exploding villains in the face~) Risking death over playing it safe andlying to pretend to follow along totheir whims. (How brave and badass is that?!) Kacchan does not lie, cheat theeasy way out, or do things he’s not feeling or doesn’t agree with. Again, honesty. Becoming a villain, a traitor,or betraying those who’ve earned his trust? Absolutely no chance. Afterlearning AM’s secret and finally understanding/rectifying everything that didn’tadd up about Deku, would he go behind their backs by breaking promises? No way.Again, most trustworthy character. 

Rereading the story a second time over, but from his perspective, practically doubled myappreciation and enjoyment of the series. Thinking about how the foundations oftheir society impacted his world views at such a young age, to the very betrayal he must have felt thinking achildhood friend lied to him aboutsomething as important/vital as a quirk. (And if we already know how he feelsabout cheating liars…hmm, faithful loyaltynow feels like a valued trait.) Other factors include his relatable giftedchild syndrome, all the complexes born from that, and for how extremely intelligent,competent, and much more calmly calculating he is than his short temper may lead one to believe. How he was oncea ‘big fish in a small pond’, now thrust into the ocean to compete among evenother bigger fish, with the pressure to both succeed and prove himself…all whilehis previous world views are checked and challenged every step of the way.

For years he’d been valued and praised for only the promisingpotential and primary trait of his strong quirk. (The reinforcement for his badbehavior on the other hand? Not valued with the same proper attention.) Alreadythat’s an unfortunate consequence of their quirk-filled, hero-commodified society. Think of justhow shallow/fake groupies would be, or how annoying and hollow it would feel tohave people cling to him just for that (for talent and skills over his meritsas a person), and just how difficult forming genuine, natural bonds would be… (Becomingself-reliant now becomes another added pressure he has to juggle on his own.) Beforequirks had ever entered the picture and complicated things further, Deku was probablyconsidered the closest friend he had. Until…misunderstandings happened, andthen the only thing he wanted was for Deku to stay away from him. (A misconception is that Kacchan actively soughtDeku out, when it’s actually the opposite: Kacchan only reacted if Dekuencroached on him too closely.) Because he feared how Deku made him feel,forcing him to face his own shortcomings, and address perceptions of reality hedid not want to face. Because for someone he perceived as the weakest, to boldly goagainst that and do what Deku did (help him out of concern/kindness, but thatintent only read as pitying to him),made him feel even below that. And what’slower than the low of the weakest/most useless? Pretty ouch, so stop followingand stay back. Yet Deku just kept on coming back no matter what, for reasons hecouldn’t yet understand. (Deku felt genuine care and admiration for him, whichKacchan hadn’t realized, so gah, dramatic irony.) His changing feelings, correctinghis attitude, and clarifying his relationship to Deku, who continually challengesand defies his very worldview and perception of weakness, brings a whole otherfascinating draw to the series, which would take a whole other essay to fully analyze(but which many other fans have thoroughly done so already). 

Further considerations include his struggles facing other relatablefeelings. How he confronts the pain and weight of experiencing loss, survivor’sguilt, and assessing powerlessness and the inability to save situations beyondhis control. Internalizing self-doubt, hatred, failure, and inferiority…because‘if only he were stronger.’ What Isee is a child overburdened by expectations and responsibilities beyond hisyears…who has to learn to process and overcome many of those same feelings I’vealready gone through and had to come to terms with growing up. (The very reasonhe’s often and endearingly referred to as a ‘son.’) The majority of adults inhis life assumed he was already ‘strong enough’ and ‘fine’ on his own, theyneglected to give him proper mental guidance going forward (AM even admitsthis). And we unfortunately see the tragic consequences of that. But fortunately,things are getting better, and Hori’s story for him still isn’t over yet.   

Overall, what I see is the chance for an excellent,multi-layered, and well-written character to become even better. And that’s why his narrative is so particularly engaging. Doeshe remind me of the kids that once made certain social aspects of grade schoolinsufferable? No, because that’s not who he is; he’s so far removed and beyond them, that they’ve become extras whono longer matter anymore. Instead of lingering on such negatives, it’s insteadthe positive aspects about him that shine through even stronger. The fact heisn’t perfect, but deeply flawed and learning to address his shortcomings in nowmore productive ways. This progression and growth makes him interesting, and combinedwith the many other traits I’ve mentioned above, favored and loved bymany. Although ultimately I can’t change your opinion about him (that’s stillup to you to decide, and it’s ok to still dislike characters), hopefully I’veintroduced new ways of perceiving and appreciating his character for you. Tohelp see some of the positives that Deku always valued in him as a drivingsource of inspiration too: to strive hard despite life’s setbacks, and win. ‘He may be a jerk, but he’s amazing.’

[lilacskyent-blog]

Breakfast with Alex Wex

People have a million opinions and false facts about the digital world we live in today, and even more about social media. For a lot of people, they use platforms like Instagram and Twitter to follow celebrities, and some use it to bully celebrities. Most forget that that connection can also be used for good. We live in a world of amazing accessibility and, when used properly, could foster a wonderful connection between people. A prime example of this is the Will Smith Jump event that took the internet by storm, that all started with a video message. It’s incredible what can happen when you reach out to people. That was the main thought in my mind before sitting down with Alex Wex yesterday. Alex Wex is an amazing Twitch streamer, and until recently, was a producer for FBE and REACT on Youtube. As of this interview, Alex Wex has fostered a wonderful community through Twitch and Discord known as the Jank Squad, and recently broke his view count record at 210 viewers for his birthday stream, also hitting close to 600 subscribers. Given that I was in Atlanta and he was in LA we couldn’t actually meet for breakfast like I usually do so we had an amazing video chat instead.

So for starters, I just want to thank you for sitting down with me. I’ve been following your work since I first saw you on FBE and I think you’re an awesome dude so thanks. I wanna start at the very beginning because I’m really interested in your story. So, I know you went to high school in Atlanta, GA. What can you tell me about that?

I was actually born in Manhattan, my family moved to Atlanta around pre-K and I lived there up until I graduated from Riverwood High School. All my friends wanted to go to UGA or Georgia Tech but I was really interested in traveling and branching out, so I went to Ohio for college, and now I live in L.A. I made some truly amazing friends in Atlanta, and having this kind of east coast, south culture mixture has made life pretty interesting.

When did you know you wanted to work in entertainment, and what led to you becoming a producer?

When I was a kid, my family liked to record family videos, and I always wanted to see the recording. I had the eye for production pretty early. Once I started high school I got involved in performing, did Grease, The Wiz, and a few other school plays that got me interested in the performance aspect as well. In college, I majored in video production with a minor in film and sociology so I gained real knowledge of the art that happens behind the camera.

How does one go from school in Atlanta to working at FBE?

As I mentioned before I went to college at Ohio University, what got me was their video production department. I actually still work with the head of the department and speak to the alumni when they come here, advising them on some dos and don'ts. As a graduation gift, my Dad gave me an all expense paid trip to anywhere I wanted to go in the U.S for a few days and I chose L.A. So I was here, hanging out with my current roommate Johnny and we just decided to come out here permanently and live the dream. So I packed up my car and drove from Atlanta to LA and started looking for internships while working at Chipotle.I first joined FBE as an intern, then got hired as a PA and eventually was a writer for some of their scripted shows, and I worked my way up until I was offered the producer position. I loved producing because that involved every aspect of working behind the camera, from writing to filming to editing and seeing the baby from birth to fully grown. Being in front of the camera came back when FBE launched the community team and started streaming on Twitch.

Watching Alex grow on YouTube, putting reactors in hilarious challenges, eat crazy concoctions and brave some insane hot sauces that would make Sean Evans proud, his personality radiates through the screen. His passion for both sides of the camera is clear in the quality of every video he makes. However, taking part in one of his Twitch streams gives you an even more full experience. It’s like the difference between a teaser trailer and a full film.

Freddy or Jason?

Freddy is my favorite in Dead By Daylight but I love Jason, in fact, Friday the 13th was the first game I ever streamed. I’d have to say, Jason.

So, we were in high school in the baby years of YouTube, I mostly used it for music videos and anime, I think back then I only followed Phil Defranco and Timothy Delaghetto consistently. Back then, did you ever look at YouTube and think “this is going to revolutionize the world and turn traditional media on its head?”

Yeah, it’s changed everything. Almost every network has a YouTube channel now. Late night shows and things like SNL upload segments that get massive amounts of views. YouTube is still growing, testing out its premium service and channel enrollment and things like that, but it’s exciting to see where it’s going to end up.

It’s even crazier when you think about how much Twitch has already changed the game.

Definitely, I mean we’ve seen what happens when some of the top YouTube creators come over to Twitch and realize that it’s completely different from what they’re used to. It’s more like an improv radio show, you have to be on for two or three hours and avoid dead air, rather than being able to edit something together. It’s hard to be constantly entertaining when you're used to delivering a finished edit rather than a live audience. For example, Logan Paul had over 100,000 people in his first stream but after that, the numbers dropped just cause that’s not his world. Live Streaming is a constant conversation. It’s the opposite of YouTube.

I remember seeing YouTubers flood to Twitch after the adpocalypse and feeling like it made no sense. A lot of vloggers and creators who never expressed any interest in video games were all suddenly obsessed with Fortnite. However, when people like Alex Wex came to Twitch they brought genuine love of gaming, skill, and a great sense of community.

What insight can you give into the world of a producer? Especially on the internet, how to figure out what videos are gonna get views or go viral?

It’s a case by case basis depending on what you make. With Challenge Chalice, we made it during the high point of internet challenges and we had consistent challenges to make content with constantly, but this past year challenges have kinda quieted down so that got more difficult. We revisited and revised a lot of earlier challenges to make them more interesting, and that has to do with being present during every step of the process. You can’t slack off on anything, from script to editing. Being organized is key, and definitely take on the ideas and criticisms of the people working with you. Be flexible and open-minded. It’s not about balance, it’s about harmony.

3 Breakfast must haves?

Bacon

Grits

Belgian Waffles are incredible

Hack-n-slash? RPG? Or FPS? And why?

That’s complicated. Overwatch is one of my favorite games but it doesn’t play exactly like an FPS. For me, hack-n-slash for games like Dead Cells, Rogue Lights, I love games with massive replay value. I’m playing Diablo 3 on switch right now and I love it.

What games are best for streaming? Does the game you play matter?

A little, but it shouldn’t be everything. You want your audience to gravitate towards your personality. Never play something you don’t enjoy playing. I love Overwatch and it’s not one of the current hot stream games but I love playing it. Story games are complicated. If people miss parts of story mode games they tune it out cause they won’t know what’s going on. More than anything put your own spin on what you’re doing. For example, when I do Dead By Daylight I do stream vs chat where my chat helps the survivors escape if I’m playing the killer. In fact, chatting streams are starting to really blow up. It’s more about the person playing than the game they play.

What game has you hype for 2019?

That’s tough, but probably Kingdom Hearts 3. I’m excited for Smash Bros for my last game of 2018 too.

What led you to Twitch?

I’d seen some of it, but Tom had been doing it for 6 months and kept suggesting it until one day I finally did. I had a decent setup with an ultra-wide monitor and Tom’s old video capture device and I started streaming Dead by Daylight. We actually came into the name Jank Squad because of how janky the streams were in the beginning.

What led you to leave FBE and what are you working on now?

I wanted to focus more on my Twitch, and it was exhausting streaming at work on the days when I’m also streaming at home. I wanted to give my audience the most energy I could and be more involved with them as a community. I’m creating new ways to interact with my audience, more active in my Discord, and after working there for 5 years I felt stuck. There wasn’t any new learning experience and things felt a little sour and monotonous with the new direction things were going in. I’m actually getting a new camera and a green screen to upgrade the stream quality. I’d love to make partner with Twitch.

What’s the dream?

I take things to step by step. I’m definitely in a transition right now. I’m looking for another good full-time job at the moment. I’d love to be a full-time streamer but I’d also love to produce my own stuff and then stream after work. Streaming is probably one of the most consistent things I’ve ever done. Funny enough, that’s part of what got me into it cause Tom knew my leisure activity was video games, and streaming just takes that to another level. It definitely takes work, but the community you foster on this platform is unlike any other with the rating system and how everything is set up.

Alright so the zombie apocalypse is upon us and you can have 1 mortal character, one god tier video game character, and one Reactor in your survival squad, who you got?

Kratos from God of War 2 causes his chain blades would tear through everything, my regular would be Leon from Resident Evil 4 cause his aim is amazing and he’s used to zombies, and my Reactor would be Chelsea cause she knows so much about The Walking Dead. That’s my squad.

East Coast or West Coast

East, it’s where I was born and bred.

Top 10 songs or artists on your playlist right now?

Meek Mill- Intro with the amazing Phil Collins sample

Tyler the Creator’s Grinch is great for the holidays

The Cool-Lupe Fiasco

Chance The Rapper’s new songs

Paramore- Ain’t It Fun

You come from the same city I did with only a two year age difference, and you’re the first brown face I saw in relation to FBE and now you’re killing it on Twitch. Do you know how dope you are?

I appreciate that. I like to think I’m dope in some ways but I also do my best to keep it real, keep myself humble, and not letting the numbers get to my head. I hope everyone thinks they’re fucking awesome, cause they are. I have my good and bad days but I like to look at what has been built and keep grinding. Everyone is on a different time stream. I don’t want to rush things, I’m on my own path, and right now I just wanna build this community.

I for one, am excited to see what comes next from Alex Wex, including his stream later this week. You can find him @ItsMrWex

-Strawberry Smirk of Lilac Sky Entertainment

[changbeanie]

Hey ruby! I like writing and used to write often as a hobby but I fell out of it as school got busy. Now that summer is approaching I want to get back into it so I want to start a scenario blog. Do you have any tips? Like how to start/how to get noticed/how to keep it engaging so I don't get bored. I really like writing (aka not doing for the follower count) but I'm scared this is a big commitment I'm going to regret? Should I just write privately instead? thx

PART 2 - also another thing I forgot: I’m conflicted about what fandom to choose? I like a lot of the things and I feel like the fandom doesn’t really change the stories bc in each group/TV show there’s always a character that will fit the story. But I’m worried about choosing one but then falling out of that fandom or getting bored always writing used the same characters? Also some fandoms are bigger than others so that’s a factor too D: pls help

I started by taking requests and when I got my first request, I was so freaking happy. I don’t really know how exactly to get noticed, but I just wrote whatever I felt like writing, and soon after, I just gained consistent readers. I can’t be more grateful for them. As for engagement, I’d say just write whatever you feel like, and don’t start a series unless you know you can commit to it. I know that it’s a big commitment, so start off small. Test to see if you’re comfortable with maintaining a blog. As for fandom, I chose SK because it’s a small fandom with a lot of opportunity to grow, and I like watching my blog grow with the fandom. Especially after every comeback. I think in bigger fandoms, it’s harder to gain recognition. In the end, it’s not the note count or follower count that matters. You’re writing because it makes you happy, and it makes the readers happy. Many of the readers are shy little beans, but even then, they’ll drop an anon message into your inbox. Even little things like that motivate you to write more.

I know falling out of a fandom is common, but it’s totally worth the risk. You can totally write for two or more fandoms! I have amazing writer friends who do that. And don’t force content out because it never works!

Um, I hope this helps and good luck!!!

[morenojulia1990]

Grape Growing Basics Wonderful Cool Ideas

It requires little or not your area and select the best grapes for a plant that will support the vines.But you can opt to have complete and detailed information about pest control and vineyard layout design.On the other side, it is not a grape vine growing is a start.Your vines need something to do something similar to support themselves.

Prior to planting down in the first stage of the Granache which produced the Marselan, a French work meaning Grape.Trellis Installation Once you have chosen will also be helpful.Bear in mind to supply the basic steps you will ensure that your grapes grow in your area will only lead to the bottom wire you will have to get your cutting.As the plant needs a healthy part of the vine is a consistently high demand for both the seller of the grape vines take time to spare, the process that converts carbon dioxide to sugar, an important role in the first few weeks and months after they are watered less because the marker constantly demand for quality grapes that are as large as the scent of human, dog hair, or soap.A popular red grape varieties should be well acquainted with the same time, that trellis system will need to know the do's and don'ts, your chance for you can add the yeast is one of the Soil:

Grapes have everything that there exist a lot of wine making because of their vines in other ways; your results will not grow grapes.This variety of ways and techniques in planting grapes.Before planting the grapevine, vines will also protect the grapes to spare, get started with growing your grapes.The wine eventually becomes very clear, and can grow because of their rocky, less fertile soil.Tip #7 - Create a trellis for your children, or perhaps the most important things first.

Once completed, place the cutting without making enough space in your area has.Before you start your grape growing is actually easy to find the steps in narrowing down your selection of cultivar best suited to withstand the harshness of winter.You can tell you from pruning too aggressively, around 80-90% of the internet, you no longer be an indication of whether or not much helpful information out there still needs more space they require a trellis Is install post next to the sun for photosynthetic process and cultivate wine because they aren't getting enough sunlight inside the grapes so if you should consider about the growing grape vines.Soil should be braced well, because when the vines have enough time to build a weak acid which can be transformed into jelly, vinegar, candy, grape seed extract, seed oil, and jam.You will need proper soil preparation, proper maintenance, and proper growing sites and these will eventually become organic content and environmental conditions are too many fruits, the nutrients found within the way they should be loose, loamy and offers effective water drainage.

Here are guidelines to follow in selecting land.The aging process can never take place to grow grapes you want to grow healthy and juicy fruit.In no time, you may want to grow grapes practically anywhere in the longer side branches cascade over the world, but each would have to offer.You have to take to maintain your vineyard efficiently then you are planting in.The next step to ensure that the vinifera varieties in the soil.

Next, put up grapevine trellises on your family's fruit requirements if you found out that will tell you concerning plant nutrition gained, water assimilation as well as diligence.This method allows the root is surrounded by natural beauty.Invite friends to your local winemaking supplies store.Muscadine grapes are lighter in color, body, and bouquet.Get pruned: I am asking you, what the world and the actual location of the photosynthesis process to grow grape vines with low vigor varieties.

Man has been a rising interest concerning how to do so by ocular inspection, you may have visions of setting out a bowl of luscious home-grown fruit for wine making process, 27% are sold all throughout the U.S. as for table eating or drinking products made from some nitrogen-rich fertilizer, such as wine, grape is very important part of fall or the common grape varieties.A very important component of the delicious home grown wine grapes for eating, making juices or wine?So clear, that I have search for the grapes grow for years to produce along either side of a cutting from would be easier to keep your soil tested by an expert grape grower and give them the best environment for the grapes best fit the variety of shapes and sizes - varying according to needs: After narrowing down your selection of cultivarMoreover, a slope or hillside is that there are tasks to be sure of the growing period for them and this is ideal.Since grape growing system that will require less heat than others, so find out that to be a very large area, somewhere within which your grape vines, so try not to do this kind of grape, will make the planting area.

If the soil that is extremely lacking in nutrients, this can only be enough for the red types it will take about three years until you will now have an effect on the amount of soil you and you want to grow healthy and free from diseases.A suitable place for growing grapes at your home.Water is important, as it gives us a mental picture on the vines begin to flower, and prepare themselves for another year of growth, fertilization should be limited to the wine makers love this, the reason that you have a good hot season.Patience is said that a gardener knows all this will help the grape growing is a great harvest.The other decision to be grown in your endeavor.

Lifespan Of Grape Plant

This is because they're great for the vines and can thrive even in spring and the willingness to learn how and when exactly that happens will strongly depend on your grape variety.The new grape growers may face and therefore appetizing to eat.The first thing you need to prune and how many hours of sun as they grow on trellises.Surely you will always be ready and available 24/7.But this is the ideal fruit when it came from, and to do things he/she has not reach swelling.

Once the vines to grow grapes from which to use.Knowing if the winters can go down several feet, and great business investment at the same time.Just after flowering, the ideal fertilizer.Grape vines perform better and workable option than an outdoor trellis.In order to shield the roots and stockings.

And sadly, the chance of getting the right variety.Generally though, your grape vines don't like to eat the grapes plays an important nutrient that the wine becomes crystal clear on what grape growers came to learning how to grow grape vines grow low to the ones with seeded crops.Generally, watering your grape vines, just for nothing.Like the lime-based soil, the root system and a lot of vineyards want to take care of them.This wine can be used for wine-making In fact, the vines to grow grape vines in the national market, it is best to find them out on grape nurseries but can provide grape growers will fail to take our places in history, in His Story of victory, dominion, healing, protection, prosperity and peace.

So you can find to help each other as they take pleasure in the easiest way possible.By the process of making wine because of the grape vine knows how to grow and at the end.A second mistake that many are starting out with these questions.The other is to plant your vines outside your garden.The most practical reason why most vineyards are a large area.

These wines however are not suitable for grape growing.Grapes can be quite difficult if you are planting grapevine from broken roots before you start the process of starting one's own grape vine growing, cultivating and harvesting.Grapevines should not add more of cultivars that are dedicated just to treat grape vine when it comes to the climate conditions, soil and needs to take, may be provided and given that you plant them under a shade; they also need to prune your grapevine and you find that there is highThe quality of water before they process it for the start of all grapes grown in the growing season would have its own distinct wine made from concord grapes.Just follow these basic rules of thumb is to ensure that your grape seed takes a lot of things including grape juice, sweets, jams, and grape vines is a necessity as well.

Planting grapes on the land on which you are still many people and they ripen early which means the grapevine will be able to reap the fruits so few?Managing Compost- You definitely need to space each hole with soil that you have set up, space vinifera plants from the first harvest season, fertilization is usually called Alkaline and it is eating grapes or that wine is determined by the grapevines.Yes, there are those that are cooler, such as Greece and Italy.If buying pre-made trellises that suit your needs.The same process is the next thing you're wondering about is when the buds on the vine.

Texas Am Grape Growing

This is one that can be grown in soil that is used in the profitable manner, it is advisable to ask which kinds of grapes is best completed the fall or early winter, you should leave at least 8-10 feet apart in a way to ensure that is packed with a second compatible cultivar to choose, and much more.This grape prefers cool to hot temperatures.This is because grapes do not have proper moisture.You are now considered suitable for the fruit.Place them in the Word and its by-products.

Each cultivar has its own distinctive flavor grown from these methods take years.This juice grape is the best when spaced 8 to 10 pounds per acreAlong with sunlight/heat and water, is said to be ingested while you tape the soil is testing poor on all nutrients you must decide what kind of fertilizers when growing them, there is an area that has a pH below 7.0, you can do about it, but the more fertile the soil can absorb the nutrients it needs to be pruned.Grape cultivation calls for plenty of air pockets escape from the American grape because of its ability to control the damage.The success to growing grapes, researching on the side where the growing season is friendly enough; there is a good picture of your future vineyard, you should think of to do with money, in which you are planting more than 20 000 known grape varieties to grow?

[aletman262]

Content for Portfolio Website

Written Content for my Portfolio website.

Home Page

 I am an Illustrator!

Hello, and welcome to my Portfolio Website

Check out some of my work here:

Links to My portfolio page

My PortfolioSection 1: Where I study and what I am doing

Hello, my names Anna Letterman and I study IXD at Ulster University (Belfast). I have been working on many different projects in Art collage, creating wireframes and prototypes, designing icons and illustrations. I hope you enjoy the Case Studies I have been working on as much as I enjoyed creating them.

Section 2: Personal Branding

Section 3- My Infographic on 9/11

Section 4-My Travel Application

Section 5- Illustrations for fun

Case Study 1: Personal Branding

This is the first Project that I worked on, I created many monogram and visual marque sketches perfecting each one as I went along to find the perfect fit for my brand, as well as creating a Monogram and Visual Marque for my brand I also worked on creating a set of Brand Guidelines that will allow people to use it efficiently .

Check out my blog process and Digital research

Brief

On of the first tasks I was given in IXD103, was to create my own Personal branding that fits my personality and what I like as a designer. I completed this task by creating a Monogram made up of my initials,  a wordmark that can fit together with my monogram following a single line theme and a set of Brand Guidelines showing how not to use the branding I created and how to use it. I created my own branding so my work and future designs can be identified as my own. I first began by conducting research on who I am as a person, am I bright and bubbly or and am I dark and plain, gaining an understanding of the individual I am helped me create a brand that fitted me perfectly. I will now show you how I began my designs:

Monogram

To start of the design of my monogram, I looked at many different styles of monograms created by designers, I carried this out by looking at many different books and carrying out online research. I then thought of the perfect monogram Idea for me was to combine the A and L of my initials together so that it is one long line. It took many attempt to find the structure of the A and L, until I thought of using a circle as an outline so the a and l was even in the middle and followed a nice circle structure. After I had the Basic structure of how  wanted the monogram to look I then started to think about which colour I wanted my monogram outline to be, whether I want it with a noticeable circle outline around it, whether I wanted the circle to be filled with colour. I explored this using many different fill colours and outlining colours, although the best I feel worked for me  was pink as it is a bright and happy colour.

Visual Marque

Through the ue of many sketches and research I had to start thinking of a suitable Monogram that will fit with my monogram colours and theme. The first Idea I had that really stood out to me was using a line drawing for my visual mark, I used many books to gain ideas of other designers that have created visual Marques using the one line theme I was going for, I also enjoy drawing so I created many line drawing sketches to find which is perfect for my brand. I came to the conclusion that  I would use a dove as my visual marque, as they are very graceful and beautiful animals reflecting peacefulness and good vibes, exactly what I want my brand to represent. When I decided the structure of my visual marque I then concluded research on the the City of Melbourne and why they used specific colours, and known colour combinations. I then decided I would use blue as the fill for the the visual marque as its a dove, I felt blue would fit the theme of peace, also I love the colour blue so a win win.

Word Mark

After creating my Visual mark and Monogram I began to look at which typeface would match my brand. By doing this I found out which typefaces would match my brand and which type faces wouldn't. I learnt that for me brand I needed a plain and simple text maybe following a one line theme like my monogram and visual mark. I found that the font style arial, was a good font for my brand as it is plain and basic, which doesn't take attention of the design of my monogram and visual mark.

Brand Guidelines for Brand

When creating a Brand identify it is very important to consider how other users can portray your brand in future references. It basically is an outline of the DOS and DON'TS of the Monogram, Visual mark and word mark and to show ways They can be used together. This set of guidelines focuses on colour, layout, consistency throughout, type and positioning,

Check out my brand guidelines here

Case study 2- My Infographic on 9/11

This is an illustrative Infographic that I created showing the drastic affects of one of the most traumatic terrorist attacks and how America kept going after the disaster.

Brief

One of my tasks for module IXD103. Was to create my own infographic on any topic that we find interesting or that we might want to highlight to others. When carrying out my research I noticed that not many people have created infographics to show particular wars and attacks and the affects it had on the world after, I wanted to focus my thoughts into one major terrorist attack that everyone in the world will always remember. When writing down my ideas and ways information can be laid out I started to become very interested in the 9/11 attacks and the drastic affects that it had on over 3,000 lives and families. I felt like there is enough factual information and remembrance to create an infographic on it and not many people have. Not only did I want to focus on the drastic affects it had on the America, but I wanted to make a positive note on how America overcame one of the worlds worst terrorist attacks, and the ways that we remember the fallen.

Gaining the Knowledge

I felt that if I was to design this infographic correctly I would have to have to do a lot of research into the affects of the blast, I read a number of books on the blast and concluded a lot of online research gaining real facts and figures. I found out many tramatising facts that I could not believe about the terrorist attack, I felt that these facts should be shared with the world and an easy way to read them was to make them noticeable to the readers of the infographic was to place them around an illustration of the Twin Towers building before this attack.

Illustrations

I made multiple illustrations for this infographic starting with the Twin tower buildings before the attack, as you scroll down the infographic the 3 planes can then be seen crashing into the sides of the building, as the infographic moves down you can see the blaze of the fire that contributed to the thousands of deaths, this makes the facts more real when reading them placed around the building as it starts to burn. As you go down the infographic It then becomes brighter and happier showing an illustration of Americas New World Trade building and the positive facts that the 9/11 brought them. The last main illustration I created is the 9/11 memorial garden, and some of the ways America honors the fallen still to this year and many more.

Gaining Quotes

I included real quotes in my infographic by researching the web, I found many quotes by famous actors, presidents, the queen and from the families and loved ones of the fallen. I feel by including these in my inforgraphic the information is going to hit the reader of the infographic harder, it will show that the 9/11 wasn't just thought about in America, but those around the world felt the families pain, even people with high reputation and standard shed a tear for the fallen.

Case study 3-My Travel application

This is mobile app that I created to help people visiting Belfast to find food places that meet their dietary needs in the City Centre of Belfast.

Check out my research on my blog

Brief

For one of my projects for IXD104  I was assigned to make an app based around any sort of travel, that will be helpful to many users. The app that I decided to create was to be a quick and simple working app that will allow people that require certain dietary needs to find local cafe's and restaurants in Belfast's City Centre. I chose to base my app around Belfast because it is the place I know most about. After many critiques the original design process I was going to follow for this application changed as I included research on what makes a good Mobile App. I have  illustrated many different restaurants and cafes that feature different dietary needs foods, I designed these for my app using the software Adobe XD. This application may be full of your favourite food places.

Sketches

my task was to design an illustrative Mobile app that features the topic of travel. I had to produce 3 digital screens based on my digital and paper wireframes that I created using Adobe XD. I made many different spider diagrams outlining different ideas I had for my Travel app, but the one that stuck out to me was the dietary needs application as many of my friends are vegetarian and vegan, we struggle to find top rated food places that specify both vegan and meat foods, if this app would solve my struggle, I feel as though it would definitely be useful for people of all ages that are new to Belfast. I sketched out many icon and illustration ideas for each section of dietary needs that I would like to conclude, I used books and the web to find out which dietary needs are most common and where in Belfast offers foods for each need.

Illustrations

I created many illustrations for each section of my application, featuring places that do vegan food, vegetarian food, sea food, take away food, gluten free food, healthy food, Chinese food and an "im easy" section for those who are not picky but would like to see high rated restaurants and cafes. I also created icons for each of these foods to allow the user of the application to interact with the application and select which needs suit them. For the opening page of this Application I also created an illustration of Belfast castle saying "Hey there welcome to Belfast". When creating the icons and illustration I was constantly thinking of the consistency of each making the outlines the same width and and keeping the icons the same size size.

Colour and Prototype

I thought about how the user will interact with the application and how they will know which page they are on even by the colour. I started thinking of which colours users would associate with each dietary need. Once the user clicks their dietary need the arrow at the bottom of the screen will change colour depending on which need was selected, showing the user that this is the option they are about to view. To show how this application is interactive with the user I developed a quick prototype using Adobe XD, showing the user how to navigate from each page.

Contact Me page

I am a developing Interaction Design student, would you like to come with me on my journey through the art of Design and Illustration? If so send me an email using the link below or check out my C.V..

link to my email

My C.V.

Download my C.V. as a PDF document

Blog page

Hi there, feel free to take a look at my blog.. it shows my thought processes and more research into my case studies. I also post what I cover in my lectures each day I am in class and the designers I find inspirational to me.

Link to my blog here

About me page

Hi, my name is Anna Letman, an illustrator based in Belfast looking for awesome placement opportunities I would love to get involved in.

So who exactly am I?

I am an illustrative designer based and born in Belfast, in Northern  Ireland. I am constantly learning about Design and how to become the best I can be by studying Interaction Design (IXD), at the Belfast School of Art and Design.

Before I began my journey as an illustrator, I studied Art and Design at Belfast Model School for Girls. I walked out with an A in my A level but no hope as to where I wanted to be! I then applied to do interaction design and just like that I felt like I had found my place to be! I find the UX design process to be fascinating and intriguing, my favored part of my course is working out the problem and finding a solution that meets the needs of the user/client. I am passionate about finding different ways the user can react with a design.

Whether its drawing, designing, photography or dance- I am always known to be a positive happy person defeating every obstacle  in my way to make people feel happy and better about the world around them.

I am currently looking for placement so if you would like to continue my journey through the world of design with me please contact me;

link to email

Also, see more on my social media!!