#when I tell them about jokes he’s made of the little improv skits he does | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

autisticmight · 4 years ago

Note

how does someone who knows little-to-nothing about it get into sanders sides? i saw thomas' vines, and i've been sort of tangentially aware that the facets of his personality that he portrayed in the vines have since become characters, but there's a whole bunch of new ones??? what the fuck is a janus???? HELP. tldr where do i find The Lore? plz obi wan ur my only hope

it’s very simple!!! you hyperfixate on thomas sanders’s content in, like, 2016? and then he uploads a video called ‘my true identity’, which is a bit weird, but you love those vine characters. then he uploads more, and it becomes a trend. apparently people in the comments are shipping the prince guy and anxiety. you rewatch the new year’s video an embarrassing amount of times with your dog

i had a whole paragraph here about why i like the series, and why i dropped it and then picked it up again, but it was just a block of lowercase text and i guess it’s kind of hard to read

anyway, here’s the playlist of every episode, but i’m going to put a summary of the series and individual episodes under the readmore, while also ranking them, because i am Special Interesting and i like being useful. and i guess i’m gonna write using. like. actual grammar. if the readmore doesn’t work, then. have fun reading my infodump

here we go

Sanders Sides: A Summary

Fictional Version Of Thomas Sanders (known as Character!Thomas, and will be simply referred to as ‘Thomas’ henceforth) has ‘Sides’, which are parts of his personality that have been exaggerated and personified. It’s a nice little series set in some kind of semi-urban fantasy world, but mostly in Thomas’s living room. It mostly uses the idea of ‘Sides’ to represent the inner schemata of an individual. In simpler terms, you know when you’re conflicted, and you end up arguing with yourself? Yeah, it’s that.

Also, don’t read the comments, unless you want to disregard the care I’ve taken to not put spoilers in the Season 1 Summaries.

Season 1

I’d like to split this into parts, because there are a lot of things in earlier episodes that conflict with later characterisation. However, it’s also fun to watch them, and then rewatch them after some of the longer episodes, and feel your heart shatter!

This half of Season 1 was made solely by Thomas. It tends to be a bit more scattered, and can be watched out of chronological order, or completely skipped. Yes, I’m telling you that you can skip literally all of this section, if you want to. However, these are also the easiest videos to watch, and offer a taste of Silly Sanders Sides Hijinks without the emotional commitment.

My True Identity (6 min) - Thomas delves into the three aspects of his personality; his Logic (Teacher Guy), his Creativity (the Prince, also called Princey), and his Morality (Dad Guy who is Not Thomas’s Dad). At this point, the characters are far more similar to their Vine counterparts, and the characterisation clashes with later episodes. (3/5 - A nice way to see if you’ll enjoy the humour of this series)

Way Too Adult (5 min) - Thomas is asked by his family to help cook Thanksgiving dinner. Dad Guy pops up and discusses with Thomas how he can better learn to take care of himself. Features a talking stove, which is part of the reason why I classify this series as urban fantasy, and the start of a running joke. (2/5 - A fun, albeit rare, look into Dad Guy being responsible. I actually prefer this to My True Identity, but ranks lower due to conflicting with later S1 characterisation.)

Taking On Anxiety with Lilly Singh (6 min) - Thomas hopes and dreams to get rid of his Anxiety, who is a sassy, snide guy, sitting on the staircase. Princey, as the embodiment of Thomas’s hopes and dreams, is... Usurped by an imaginary version of Lilly Singh, who helps teach Thomas how to cope with feeling anxious. (3/5 - Introduces some secret tools that will help us later. The tools are Thomas being able to travel to various places in his head, and also Anxiety.)

A New Year of Lying to Myself... In Song!! (7 min) - The first video wherein you realise that this is A Thing. Thomas welcomes in the new year, hoping that 2017 will be better than 2016. Logic shows up to help him figure out some New Year’s Resolutions, accompanied by Dad Guy and Princey. Anxiety joins in to point out that Thomas has rarely, if ever, kept to his resolutions before. Through the first musical number of the series, the Core Sides and Thomas figure out simple, achievable resolutions that Thomas can use to improve his wellbeing. (4/5 - Unintentional foreshadowing in the form of a bop.)

The Dark Side of Disney (6 min) - Princey, not for the last time, enthuses about the wonders of Disney. However, Anxiety also appears, insisting that Disney is not as wholesome as it first appears. They argue and bond, despite the fact that Thomas still hasn’t redacted his statement regarding his hopes and dreams to get rid of his Anxiety. (2/5 - I have strong feelings on the meaning of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’, both of which are shrugged off in favour of the tryhard-edgy ‘blegh stockholm syndrome’ and ‘blegh change yourself to get your man’. Still, it’s a fan-favourite for a reason, and the endcard always makes me smile.)

I’m in a Disney Show!! (6 min) - Princey enthuses about the wonders of Disney, because Thomas is in a Disney show. He talks about what happened, while the Sides (mostly Logic) suggest clickbait titles in order to entice people to watch the video. (2/5 - L*gan P*ul is mentioned, as he was also in the episode.)

The Mind vs. The Heart (6 min) - Thomas finds himself split between following his mind, Logic, or his heart, Morality. Features onesies, and looks further into the characters of Logic and Dad Guy. (3/5 - Pretty calm and peaceful, to be honest. It’s nice.)

Then we move onto the second part of Season 1. This is when Thomas’s friend, Joan, began to offer their input into scriptwriting and directing. They’re most of the reason why Sanders Sides is an actual series, instead of being silly skit characters in short vlogs. From here on in, episodes become more complex, and work on an actual timeline.

Alone on Valentines Day (9 min) - Thomas is rather upset that he will be, as the title says, alone on Valentine’s Day. The Sides try to help him figure out how to get a date with an imaginary version of his friend Valerie, but each of them has a weirder way of going about it than the last. (4/5 - Far more cohesive than previous videos, but Thomas still wasn’t fully out as gay, so his hypothetical date is a woman. Yes, I took points off because of that. Yes, I’m about to erase the 3/5 to make it 4/5 because Valerie is a delight.)

Losing My Motivation (9 min) - When Thomas finds himself procrastinating, Logic takes it upon himself to find out which side is causing it. In order to get into a deductive mindset, Logic dresses up as Sherlock, while Dad Guy joins in as Watson. Once the case is solved, an important piece of information is revealed: the Sides have names. (Logic’s name is revealed) (3/5 - It’s just a fun little video, and I can’t keep giving every video from here on in 4/5, or that’ll ruin the whole thingy.)

Sanders Sides Q&A (9 min) - Exactly what it sounds like. There’s not much else to say. (2/5 - I love it, but it’s not really necessary to understand the whole series. It’s just extra characterisation.)

Am I Original? (12 min) - Thomas finds himself in a creative rut, trying to think of a completely original idea. Princey requests full creative control - “full-on Daydream Mode” - in order to rapidly consider and enact many different concepts, all while trying to make something that has never been seen before. (Princey’s name is revealed) (4/5 - Important characterisation for Princey. I originally rated it lower due to Thomas’s inability to rap, but upon rewatching, i found that the ending dialogue between Princey and Thomas was worth two points, rather than the single one I gave it previously.)

My Negative Thinking (13 min) - When Thomas messes up in an audition, his ego - Princey - is out of commission and being cared for by Dad Guy. Therefore, the only Sides available to aid him in this situation are Logic and Anxiety, neither of whom can help Thomas in the way he wants to. Anxiety is worsening Thomas’s mental state, so Logan proposes a debate in order to combat those cognitive distortions. (4/5 - A fan-favourite episode which offers a lot of insight into Logic and Anxiety as characters. It is useful as a tool for identifying cognitive distortions in real life, which may help with the individual’s mental health. Even though it introduces another running joke, it’s educational and fun, and it develops their relationship in a positive manner, I just don’t particularly enjoy it.)

Growing Up (15 min) - It’s Thomas’s birthday! He’s in his late twenties, and he’s still a kid at heart. He hasn’t done his laundry, he's silly and immature, and he feels like he isn’t at the point that he needs to be in his life. Therefore, all the Sides, except for Dad Guy, who ironically embodies Thomas’s inner child, work on trying to make him more mature. (Morality’s name is revealed) (3/5 - Features the concept of Voltron Shirt. I love this episode, but there is a noticeable change in audio quality at the end which affects how enjoyable it is.)

Making Some Changes (15 min) - Back in Thomas’s living room, and in opposition to his view from the last episode, Anxiety is worried about how life changes in unpredictable ways, and especially about losing contact with Thomas’s friends. Therefore, in order to keep Thomas’s friends permanently by his side, Princey gets them all to shapeshift. (3/5 - It might be skippable, but it’s just really, really fun.)

Becoming A Cartoon (10 min) - Adding to the whole urban fantasy thing, it turns out that animators can literally, physically turn people into cartoons. Thomas wants to be a cartoon. Princey catches Anxiety in his arms and says “everybody loves the villain,” and I think that’s all you need to know. (1/5 - Co-stars B*tch H*rtman, known for Fairly Odd Parents, Danny Phantom, and Being A Bigot, who did the character designs for the Sides, if not the actual animation. And the designs are kind of. Eh. Just watch some fanmade animatics.)

Accepting Anxiety (23 min) - Part 1: Excepting Anxiety (10 min), and Part 2: Can Anxiety Be Good? (14 min) - HOO. If the musical number or the animation didn’t clue you in, this video confirms that Sanders Sides is A Thing. Remember how Thomas hoped and dreamt to get rid of his Anxiety? Remember how he never redacted that statement, or even expressed a bit of remorse? Well, here, his wishes come true, and he doesn’t feel bad about it at all! That’s because he has absolutely no shame, caution, or fear of death. Yeah, he’s a mess. Therefore, the Sides make him take them on a magical quest to Anxiety’s Room, in order to un-mess-ify Thomas. (Anxiety’s name is revealed) (5/5 - The team really went above and beyond with this one. Like. Hoo. That’s it. Just. Hoo. Hoo. I’m an owl.)

And that’s Season 1!!! I’m going to add Season 2 in a reblog, because this has taken roughly three hours and it’s been really difficult to not spoil their names!!! which i did anyway because their names are all easier to type from muscle memory!!!

#helen stfu #asks #sanders sides tag da lee lay da lee loo #Anonymous

2 notes · View notes

jenology-archive · 7 years ago

Text

100 things to love about Jeno

his infinite amount of passion and relentless enthusiasm!

he’s incredibly humble as well, modest to the point he’ll praise his fellow members while he’s getting praised

he’s been in showbiz scene ever since he was young (starting around 2005!)

he loves animals and he has three cats!

bongshik was his first cat, when he was younger he found her abandoned on his way home

nal and seol were adopted later, even though he has a cat allergy he loves them to bits and overcomes his allergy as best as he can!

his voice is so soft and gentle, though it’s also really deep and he can also be really loud

he has an AMAZING sense of humor and doesn’t deserve being called “boring” or “no jam” at all

he’s more mature than he gets credit for: he’s compassionate and wise that even mark lee, the leader of nct dream who is one year his senior, will confide in him for advice

he’s also way funnier than people make him seem, he comes up with really witty retorts too

he doesn’t stay still! even if it’s the slightest bit of movement, he’s always up to something

also fiddles with other objects, anything he can get his hands on

in most cases they’re items present wherever he is

though there are various cases where he has kept a fidget spinner in his back pocket and he’d just whip it out and start spiNNING

sometimes (read: often) he’ll be doing something to his members, the victim tends to be whoever’s closest

he plays with their ears or tickles their chin, amongst other cute gestures

It’s so cute when he takes selfies or videos with other members! no explanation needed because you’ve probably seen evidence to support this claim

It’s also really cute when he does something wrong or gets called out and he just freezes up with a funny expression on his face

speaking of which, he really is the KING OF FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

he can display such a wide variety of expressions, it’s extremely impressive

and he can change them really quickly too, the way he fluctuates between expressions is almost as cool as it is endearing

sometimes he’ll have a cute smile on his face and it’ll morph into an intense gaze, or vice versa

THERE IS SUNSHINE IN HIS SMILE! It’s absolutely radiant and contagious!

on a side note, his teeth are absolutely perfect?

his cheek moles are also really lovely and it really sucks when they cover it up with makeup

it’s also a huge shame when fansites photoshop their pics of him so you can’t see his acne…

he does have a lot of it which is completely normal, and when he’s given the opportunities he does embrace it! even though he’s this perfect and loveable, he’s also very much human

he really has the most endearing habits in the entire world!! The gestures he does are super cute

like when he rubs his nose with the back of his index finger

or when he’s biting on his index finger? lol

he also tends to touch the lobule of his ears

puffs up his cheeks very cutely

rests his chin on his palms and wiggles his fingers

his salute!! it’s not a “real” salute but he does something like it with two fingers

it’s really adorable when he waves or makes peace signs

notice that when he’s performing or even just saying certain words, he’ll bite his tongue :o or it’ll peek out for a moment

he also bites his bottom lip a lot

and he has a tight lipped smile that he tends to do, it’s especially endearing if he looks in a different direction while he’s doing it

HIS HAPPY DANCE!! there’s a lot of variety to it, like when he’s jumping up and down, or when he’s… doing That (there’s really no way to describe it ngfng)

and when his nose scrunches up… actually, while we’re still on the topic of his nose it’s really distinct and beautiful!!

the expressions or things he does while listening to others! he reacts a lot too!

like when he furrows his brows and/or looks all confused

when that happens and he has creases on his forehead :’)

also sometimes he does that really cringey fake sob ognfdkgndfkjg

it’s really nice when he nods as people are talking to show that he’s following along with what they’re saying

Jeno is extremely attentive in general!! he really gives others his undivided attention

in some cases, like during vlives, he’s looking at his phone instead though. but he’s still being attentive because he’s trying to keep up with comments from fans!

HE’S SO TALENTED!! he’s honestly so impressive

even though sm doesn’t let him do much, he’s still capable of SO MUCH. he’s a vocalist, a rapper, a dancer, and the visual and that’s A LOT

even though he doesn’t get the amount of lines he deserves, the way he delivers them is so captivating

and there’s a reason he gets all those notable points of choreo, as well as hoverboard time in chewing gum!

and why members will say he’s the best at riding hoverboards too because he really is :/

he’s admittedly rather clumsy, but he truly does his best to overcome that especially on stage

please consider his IMPROVEMENT, especially since chewing gum era when he would make various mistakes or slip ups during live performances! he’s come a long way and is constantly improving

also consider his great acting skills, he’s been acting since a young age and he’s still improving as well

he’s really great with skits and reciting scripts, his voice and gestures suit the characters he portrays

he also has various hidden talents, and I’m sure we’ve only gotten mere glimpses of what he has to offer

for example, he’s really good at winking! he can also wink with both eyes

he’s also pretty good at tongue twisters, and he can say them at a fast pace

the thing he does where he lies down flat on the floor and pushes himself back up?? (he did it in the ot18 and 00 line vlives)

he’s excellent at speaking and is very charming while doing so, which makes him a great MC as well

never forget that he represented nct at the smtown conference in dubai!!

he’s been wearing glasses since a young age, apparently has really bad eyesight :’)

used to get called “harry potter” when he was younger, probably because of his round lensed glasses

was very well praised for the powerpoint presentations he would make in computer class

impossibly well rounded as a student, he excels academically, athletically, and musically

in middle school (year 1) jeno placed 2nd during the first exam!

he was a member of track & field and was especially good with relay races, so his class would rank high because of him

he was also a mischievous student though, there was one instance where he put glue on a desk and ran away lol

but to this day he’s still pretty mischievous, you might want to keep an eye on him!

apparently he can play a huge variety of instruments, not just the guitar

his instrument specialty is the violin!

HIS LAUGH IS ARGUABLY ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS YOU’LL EVER HAVE THE PLEASURE OF HEARING

even the way he laughs is absolutely divine and genuine and WHOLESOME

he just lets out his laughter unapologetically, often with an eyesmile too!

it can also be super extra when he laughs: sometimes he’ll clap or hit something (in some cases, someone), or he’ll lurch forward or fall backwards… sometimes he even falls to the ground from laughing

he also tends to laugh after answering questions, or while he’s answering the question

horror movie lover, likes to watch them with renjun and has made a horror movie reference lol

anime enthusiast!! he really likes one piece and naruto in particular

he also likes figures, especially putting them together

on a side note, he’s really crafty and creative! when he was younger he liked to build things with toy blocks and he also had an affinity for puzzles

don’t forget nct school dream mate where he made a bento box completely out of clay… it was really well made, of course

he’s liked cars since a very young age and enjoys drawing them, he actually wanted to be a car designer when he was young

but because he wasn’t pleased with his drawing skills he decided to become a singer instead :’o he’s really good at drawing though!

he uses emoticons very cutely :’)

like when he draws a little smiley face that looks like =) beside his name… <3

he also started using TAT because of the fans which is really sweet

suspenders and him don’t go well together… not in a visual aspect, jeno looks good in everything, but every time he wears them they always slide off his shoulders lol

really likes t7s and practices the choreo with jisung (sm let them do a t7s cover!!)

he plays pokemon go on his ipad (no promises, but I think he was on team mystic)

he’s interested in photography and also takes really good pictures!

meme king… never forget the various times he’s dabbed, nae naed, played with a fidget spinner, and brought up ppap

does really cheesy things and does them SHAMELESSLY. but it’s all for us and it’s lovely (yes! even the aegyo!!)

he’s recommended the song “breath” by park hyo shin multiple times, he also listens to it (almost?) every night before he goes to sleep

he’s very considerate and kind hearted! It’s so sweet when he checks in with others or reminds others of things too

that’s a big reason why doyoung really cherishes him, because jeno is really thoughtful of others and also very grateful

his stage presence is no joke. he’s so professional and bold, it’s practically impossible to watch him perform something and not get spell bound…

...but even though he gives every stage his all, jeno still has so much fun while he’s at it and you can tell!

he doesn’t think of his role as an idol as a “job”, but rather something he does where he can have fun with others

he’s constantly striving to “become a better jeno” and often tells us so! he’s always trying his best and giving everything his all!

#as promised! in time for his bday too :) unfortunately i couldn't include all the points i came up with but i'll do more in the future!!#jeno #jeno imagines #jeno scenarios #nct scenarios #nct imagines #nct #nct dream #kpop #my text #jushing #lee jeno #jenonly #hjd

1K notes · View notes

pengiesama · 8 years ago

Text

SUCH A LUST FOR REVENGE

WHO???

...

have mgs5 memes gone out of style already

the point is that i’m still playing berseria and more notes on it are behind the cut. beware of huge spoilers up to the second visit to the snowy place

more trivia on Ancient Avarost, aka the Ancient Tongue that Sorey and Mikleo are self-taught and speak and read fluently: it's an "impressionist script", and has to be deciphered from within context. meaning, you have to get into the head of the writer and understand their emotions to decipher it. it's described as an emotion-based writing system, entirely different than any modern style of writing.

an NPC talked about the Isle of Lakehaven: it's a mountainous island, that recently sank partially into the sea. it can't be approached by the Abbey or any other ships due to a constant lightning storm. Lakehaven Heights, if you remember from Zestiria, is the area surrounding Elysia. the lightning storm is obviously Zenrus keeping the Abbey away from Elysia, and sinking the mountains may have been the work of Zenrus as well (or the Elysia seraphim in general).

Velvet and Magilou's improv show was a disaster due to Velvet's stage fright, but someday Magilou will achieve her dream of Velvet hurling her into a wall and fucking the shit out of her. Velvet's 100% for the former but isn't yet convinced on the latter.

i'm beginning to like Magilou more, except when i don't. like when she forces Laphi to look up her skirt.

i'm still not especially fond of Eleanor. she stubbornly refuses to de-kool aid herself re: the Abbey and Artorius' actions, despite the massive glut of evidence that he and the Abbey are corrupt. also i find it like...fucking cruel to have Eleanor monopolize Laphi's affections when Velvet's so attached to him, and Eleanor was originally trying to flat-out kill him and then bring him back to the Abbey. tbh just fob Eleanor off on that repulsive little goblin child that we have to put up with.

regarding said repulsive goblin child: shut the fuck up you obnoxious half-naked brat holy shit stop SHRIEKING and sticking your crotch in the camera every god damn time you're on-screen (which is FAR too often)

Laphicet's skit collection on adventuring is too precious, as is his love for dinosaurs. please keep on keeping on until Sorey and Mikleo come around so they can have a beautiful baby boy to raise.

Laphicet can look into earthpulses in order to look out of other earthpulses, and can also sense their location. we're using this to search out therions and various Abbey-related shenanigans.

Laphi gets pissed that Velvet is just treating him as a replacement for her brother and puts a bunch of random costume attachments on himself and gives her the business. the result: a fight against some octopuses and Velvet starts calling him Phi instead. a Laphi by any name remains as moe

every. other. fucking. skit. the characters are accusing each other of having a crush on a random character of the opposite sex if they so much as bring them up in conversation. this shit never fucking happened in Zestiria so why does it have to exist now

an incomplete list of things Eizen has freaked out about: fine art history a cool rock a bug fishing poles fluffy squirrels that let him pet them his clothing being tailored wrong his pasta being cooked wrong archaeology being wrong about archaeology being denied the chance to make a secret underwater system of tunnels a giant pot we fished out of the ocean that had a bunch of dead shit in it us finding out that he's gifting the pot to the mysterious umbrella girl, wrapped in sunflower wrapping paper and accompanied by a flowery letter the chance for him to finally get heads instead of tails on a rigged coin, only for two of the coins to get eaten by birds and the third to straight-up explode in mid-air

Grimorh states and Eizen confirms that earth malakhim are inherently unable to swim; though Eizen thinks he has overcome it and can swim now that he has his secret technique, inflatable floaties attached to his arms. no i am not kidding.

on a related note, Mikleo please resist the urge to taunt Edna while swimming laps in a lake like a beautiful dolphin. it won't end well

we hit up Stonebury, which is proto-Lastonbell; as evidenced by the radishbells and the Giant Stump (which was a discovery point near Lastonbell in Zestiria), as well as the NPC discussion on making a giant belltower as the town expands. the NPCs in town note that there's a cult around the town that worships dragons, based out of the Tintagel Temple; which is where Rose's crew hid out initially.

Eizen is such a nerd and is so easy to rile up on dumb shit. tbh it's clear now why Edna hassles Mikleo; he reminds her of Eizen :(

got an inn skit implying Velvet is masturbating. in fact, she is cleaning. it's preferable to the skit with the Laphi masturbation joke.

more church confessional shenanigans: Eizen's biggest regret is stealing 100 gald from Edna's savings to buy a painting, and Laphi's biggest regret is accidentally killing a slug + an ant hill with sugar/sugar water.

RED FUCKING ALERT I GOT THE TRUE NAMES = CONFESSION OF LOVE SKIT KEKEKEKEKEKKEKEKEKEKE

REAL GOOD!!!!!!!!! REALLY GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GAY THAT CROSSES THE STREAMS OF TIME

FLASHBACK2 "I already know it!" YEAH BOY. YEAH BOY. YEAH_BOY.MP3

anyway now we can fast travel through map areas on geoboards. they were made by and for normin (the normin has to speak their normin name to activate, which is just "Atakk", "Acqua", etc. in Berseria the normin don't go by their normin names but in Zestiria they apparently don't give af about who knows it), and surf along earthpulses.

the party takes a poll on whether they like cats or dogs better. the results: velvet: dogs magilou: cats eleanor: both rokurou: neither eizen: squirrels. after being yelled at, amends to cats bc spoiled cats remind him of Edna laphi: is the tiebreaker, and is too scared to say

Eizen explains to Laphi that malakhim can get more powerful with prayers from humans. prayers aren't just outright worshiping; it's positive thoughts, encouragement, and emotions directed at them. Artorius' plan is to direct humanity's worship toward Innominat alone, instead of individual malakhim or the Empyreans. this targeted worship will give him the most power.

Laphi angsts about who would want to pray to him, and i don't know how the party doesn't see the obvious plan of action here. present Laphi to the populace and stand beside him in a Will Smith pose. his moe is severe, and is far more appealing than some stupid eight-headed dragon that just lives to guzzle down black goo. the people will abandon Innominat and worship their new god, derailing the Abbey's plans.

Eizen, like Dezel, can only bring misfortune with his blessing; this and the Reaper's Curse is why he lives apart from Edna.

EIZEN IN GLASSES FUCK MY BONER HURTS

fact: kamoana is a completely fucking pointless character made to be pedophile fetish bait and the next fucking time she spends the entirety of her screentime EAR-PIERCINGLY SHRIEKING AND CRYING AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS i am going to drop kick her into the goddamn ocean. the worst part is every character fawns over her """""cuteness"""" (as fucking if) and acts like i should give the least shit about her (lol no).

.......i don't like loud and obnoxious children. perhaps you can tell. if all children were sweet babies like laphicet then it'd be a different story

#i guess this is my personal tales of berseria tag now #i guess this is my personal tales of zestiria tag now

5 notes · View notes

lucyariablog · 7 years ago

Text

Ex-SNL Writer Reveals How to Spend 5 Minutes a Day to Improve Storytelling

Want to get more creative in your marketing, especially your storytelling? Spend five minutes a day doing something that masters of improv do: Play with words.

That was stand-up comedian Tim Washer’s advice in his talk, How to Use Improv Techniques to Improve Your Storytelling, at Content Marketing World in 2016. He walked us through some examples, which I’ll share in this post.

First, in case you missed my recent article based on this same talk, let me fill you in on who this guy is. In addition to serving as social media manager for Cisco Systems’ Service Provider Marketing group, Tim has worked on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, studied improv under Amy Poehler and written for her on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update, and worked as a “corporate humorist” for clients like Google, IBM, FedEx, and Pepsi.

Tim knows corporations and humor.

Read on to learn from an improv master how to become a more creative marketer. (All images come from Tim’s presentation slides.)

Exercise in word play

I saw my first live improv show, when I was 9 or so. My dad took my sister and me to Second City in Chicago. One of the actors asked for the name of an animal. “Aardvark!” I shouted. How on earth would they weave a reference to an aardvark into their skit?

It seemed impossible that this team of energetic people on the stage could create a vignette on the spot using the audience’s suggestions. As they did exactly that, I waited, waited, waited. Finally, at the end of the skit, one of the actors burst into song, ending with the rousing line “up in a tree, with the aardvark and me!”

How had they pulled it off? It was magic.

Decades later, it still seems like magic to me that any group of people can instantly create a story – let alone a funny story – from a bunch of random words. I never considered trying it myself.

Tim says it’s time to go for it. He urges everyone who does creative work (and we all do creative work) to expand our storytelling capacity by spending five minutes a day, either alone or with a group, playing with word juxtaposition. In other words, yoke unrelated ideas together to create something new.

Spend 5 minutes a day playing a word juxtaposition game to boost creativity, says @TimWasher. #CMWorld Click To Tweet

You do this by following the Tim-recommended “path of nonsense”:

Come up with two unrelated terms. (Try a free random-word-generator app, like InspireMe.)

Write those terms down on a piece of paper. (Don’t do it in your head.)

Create a word map or web of words for each term. (Brainstorm. Write, write, write. Don’t stop. Keep your pen moving. No wrong answers. It’s just word association. Free associate. Don’t judge yourself or worry about making mistakes. If it’s crazy, it could lead to gold.)

Choose a word from each side – a combination that strikes you as having play potential – and free associate only those two words.

Create a narrative that connects the two ideas. (Ask yourself “What if …?” Keep your mind open and playful.)

“This is one of the best ways to come up with new ideas when you’re staring at a blank piece of paper, and you’re trying to come up with something new,” Tim says. “You can get to genius with this.”

youtube

If you do this exercise with others, look for people who like to take risks and who have a sense of humor. “Not people who tell jokes but people who laugh. That shows that they’re open to ideas,” Tim says.

Example 1: Playing with “circus” and “bacon”

Here’s how this exercise went for one group Tim worked with.

They chose “circus” and “bacon.”

They wrote the words side by side.

They created a word map, asking themselves, “What do we know about bacon and circuses? What are the ‘rules of bacon, the rules of a circus’?”

They decided to connect “clowns” and “farms.” They did more brainstorming, asking, “What do we know about clowns and farms? What do we picture when we think of a clown or a farm?” They came up with this list:

They mashed up the two attribute lists and came up with this scenario: A rooster crows. The sun is coming up. A tractor appears, coming up over a hill. It stops. Someone jumps out – you see the silhouette. You cut to a close shot, and a farmer takes off his hat. A rainbow afro pops up. He turns sideways and walks off in his clown shoes. Then another clown comes out of the tractor, and another, and another.

Now the team has a silly idea that connects with people. Great. Now what does it do with it. Probably nothing. Who knows? “(They) experienced this process of creativity, and it’s helping (them) become more creative,” Tim says. “That’s what this is about.”

Example 2: Playing with “chinchillas” and “marshmallows”

Tim and the attendees at his 2015 CMWorld talk created another example.

The audience shouted out “chinchillas” and “marshmallows.”

Suggested word associations for “chinchillas” included fur, squirrel, and traps, and s’mores and campfires for “marshmallows.”

Someone suggested a connection between the two word groups – marshmallow traps.

Tim took it from there: “Let’s see how we can marry traps and marshmallows. Maybe we’re doing a commercial for s’mores. You could have a trapper who’s out to trap marshmallows. Once you have that absurd idea, you play it straight, dead serious. Nobody’s winking and laughing. We open on a log cabin that is a retail store for trappers. There’s a guy selling traps, and a guy comes in who has just trapped some marshmallows. What’s the backstory? What would he look like? Does he trap just marshmallows? Is he vegan? Maybe that leads you to a psychologist’s office, where he’s talking about why he doesn’t trap deer any more, just marshmallows.”

I’d love to see someone make that commercial. Alas, a producible idea wasn’t the point.

As Tim shares, “This kind of exercise leads you to absurd ideas. It builds your creativity muscles.”

Word-play exercises lead to absurd ideas. It builds your creativity muscles, says @TimWasher. #CMWorld Click To Tweet

Example 3: Valentine gift from Cisco

How does all this silliness apply to the content you do need to produce? In that same talk, Tim suggests using a similar exercise when brainstorming your real content ideas – but playing with words related to customer pain.

Look at the pain that your customer is experiencing and that you can solve, and play around in that area. Now you’ve created something relevant. Not only have you made something funny that your customer might laugh at, but you’ve demonstrated that you understand what they’re struggling with and demonstrated empathy. Just exaggerate that pain point.

Tim detailed in his 2016 CMWorld talk how his team at Cisco did some brainstorming when they were getting ready to launch a $100,000 router. (“We sell it to the Verizons, AT&Ts, Telestras of the world. You’re not going to get this at Office Depot. But if you want a coupon, let me know. I can get you 25 bucks off,” he offered.)

The team brainstormed and played around with things they knew about the router – the ASR 9000. Here’s a word map that captures the spirit of their brainstorming:

“We got nowhere. We couldn’t find anything interesting. Then we said, wait a minute, when’s the launch date of this product again? It’s February 9. Almost Valentine’s Day,” Tim says. And the idea for this 60-second video was born: A Special Valentine’s Day Gift … from Cisco!

youtube

The concept was absurd. Tim says plenty of people asked, “What are you doing?” But none of Cisco’s other videos earned coverage in The New York Times. Whereas most corporate videos get a couple hundred views, the Valentine one had 200,000 views in its first month, according to Tim. (The view count on the video that’s available today doesn’t reflect all the views from the original 2009 posting.) And this video – which includes only still images, an approach that Tim recommends for ease and simplicity – cost less than its typical video.

Why don’t we do more playing around like this? Even if our ideas fail, why not take a few more shots at it? That’s what I think. Take 2% of your budget and give it a shot.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: Comedy Pro Reveals How to Bring Funny to Content [Video]

Conclusion

Who knew that the trick to succeeding at work was to play more? Spend a few minutes a day putting unrelated words together and following them down a path of nonsense.

What do you say – ready to dedicate a little time and 2% of your budget to some silliness?

Catch Tim Washer’s act (and learn a lot about content marketing) at this year’s Content Marketing World. Register today for the Sept. 5-8 event. Use code BLOG100 to save $100.

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

The post Ex-SNL Writer Reveals How to Spend 5 Minutes a Day to Improve Storytelling appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.

from http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2017/08/writer-improve-storytelling/

0 notes

hotspreadpage · 7 years ago

Text

Ex-SNL Writer Reveals How to Spend 5 Minutes a Day to Improve Storytelling

Want to get more creative in your marketing, especially your storytelling? Spend five minutes a day doing something that masters of improv do: Play with words.

Tim knows corporations and humor.

Read on to learn from an improv master how to become a more creative marketer. (All images come from Tim’s presentation slides.)

Exercise in word play

How had they pulled it off? It was magic.

Decades later, it still seems like magic to me that any group of people can instantly create a story – let alone a funny story – from a bunch of random words. I never considered trying it myself.

Spend 5 minutes a day playing a word juxtaposition game to boost creativity, says @TimWasher. #CMWorld Click To Tweet

You do this by following the Tim-recommended “path of nonsense”:

Come up with two unrelated terms. (Try a free random-word-generator app, like InspireMe.)

Write those terms down on a piece of paper. (Don’t do it in your head.)

Choose a word from each side – a combination that strikes you as having play potential – and free associate only those two words.

Create a narrative that connects the two ideas. (Ask yourself “What if …?” Keep your mind open and playful.)

youtube

Example 1: Playing with “circus” and “bacon”

Here’s how this exercise went for one group Tim worked with.

They chose “circus” and “bacon.”

They wrote the words side by side.

They created a word map, asking themselves, “What do we know about bacon and circuses? What are the ‘rules of bacon, the rules of a circus’?”

Example 2: Playing with “chinchillas” and “marshmallows”

Tim and the attendees at his 2015 CMWorld talk created another example.

The audience shouted out “chinchillas” and “marshmallows.”

Suggested word associations for “chinchillas” included fur, squirrel, and traps, and s’mores and campfires for “marshmallows.”

Someone suggested a connection between the two word groups – marshmallow traps.

I’d love to see someone make that commercial. Alas, a producible idea wasn’t the point.

As Tim shares, “This kind of exercise leads you to absurd ideas. It builds your creativity muscles.”

Word-play exercises lead to absurd ideas. It builds your creativity muscles, says @TimWasher. #CMWorld Click To Tweet

Example 3: Valentine gift from Cisco

The team brainstormed and played around with things they knew about the router – the ASR 9000. Here’s a word map that captures the spirit of their brainstorming:

youtube

Why don’t we do more playing around like this? Even if our ideas fail, why not take a few more shots at it? That’s what I think. Take 2% of your budget and give it a shot.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: Comedy Pro Reveals How to Bring Funny to Content [Video]

Conclusion

Who knew that the trick to succeeding at work was to play more? Spend a few minutes a day putting unrelated words together and following them down a path of nonsense.

What do you say – ready to dedicate a little time and 2% of your budget to some silliness?

Catch Tim Washer’s act (and learn a lot about content marketing) at this year’s Content Marketing World. Register today for the Sept. 5-8 event. Use code BLOG100 to save $100.

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

The post Ex-SNL Writer Reveals How to Spend 5 Minutes a Day to Improve Storytelling appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.

Ex-SNL Writer Reveals How to Spend 5 Minutes a Day to Improve Storytelling syndicated from http://ift.tt/2maPRjm

0 notes