howyoustudythestars

[howyoustudythestars]

Behind the scenes blog posts from the producer of the music videos for Fireflies, Vanilla Twilight, To The Sky, and Alligator Sky

Came across this while trying to find info about that Shaq cameo on the Vanilla Twilight music video. You might recognise the name Danny Yourd from the behind the scenes video for the Alligator Sky music video. It seems to have only been posted this year, so 15 years in the making.

The page itself seems kind of hastily put together with some incorrect / filler text, but there are also blog posts for the music videos apart for Fireflies, Vanilla Twilight, and Alligator Sky. There's some neat pictures and details that I don't think have ever been shared before, highly advise checking out the pics at the bottom of the linked page.

Some highlights and pics:

It was Adam that requested for Shaq to be in the Vanilla Twilight music video: "Funny story is Adam … was a huge fan and somehow worked it out to have Shaq cameo in the spot."

Adam on set for Vanilla Twilight (be sure to check out the pics on the blog post, the ones of the frozen lake look like an alien world)

He (and Steve Hoover, the director) apparently had no prior connection to Adam, they just pitched for the Fireflies video and got the job, which led to doing the later music videos as well. It seems Yourd stopped after Alligator Sky, while Steve also directed Deer In The Headlights, but I can't find any credits after that. They didn't do Umbrella Beach, which was done by a UK director.

Fireflies set pics

Set plans for To The Sky? And a very grumpy owl

Figured this was a neat bit of Adam / OC history that we've not really seen before. I've added the links to archive.org so that they don't get lost to time.

I wish there was a behind the scenes post about the Wolf Bite music "visualiser" because I wonder what the hell the dancers they hired to be in a car park with wolf masks dancing at night thought.

Anyway, first time properly using Tumblr in aeons, but figured this was something relevant enough to dust off the blog and share here beyond my usual lurking spot of Reddit.

[howyoustudythestars]

I am today years old when I realized this line from the Owl City song The Yacht Club is a pun: "As Cinderella dropped the crystal ball"

[howyoustudythestars]

I have a theory, and I want to see if I’m right…

Which version of Alligator Sky do you prefer (counting only the officially released versions, no leaks or remixes), and do you like newer Owl City (Anything during or after The Midsummer Station)? Feel free to discuss your reasoning in the comments/reblogs. I’ll share my theory after the poll is closed!

[howyoustudythestars]

The second image reminds me of Shy Violet:

Us the series // Cave in by Owl City

[howyoustudythestars]

I’m blowing dust off this side blog to inform people that I’m hearing Legend by Twenty One Pilots in Walmart. That is all!

[howyoustudythestars]

growing up autistic is learning how to flirt via Owl City songs

[howyoustudythestars]

My take is a bit more nuanced than someone like Jon from ARTV. Like, I don't think there are any bad songs on Mobile Orchestra. However, an album is more than just the sum of all it's parts. By that, I mean a bunch of great songs can still come together to form a terrible album, which I think is the case here. The main problem I have with Mobile Orchestra is that it in no way sounds cohesive.

To be fair, Adam himself said it sounded like 10 different rabbit holes to showcase different styles, and maybe that was a purposeful choice seeing as it was his last album (thus far, at least) signed to a major label. However, that's where the problem lies. It sounds more like a mixtape or a playlist of random songs than a cohesive album. It starts out with the poppy lead single (Verge). Then, it goes for a nostalgic ballad (I Found Love) followed by the one song for fans of old-school Owl City with an EDM flare (Thunderstruck). Then, there's the quintessential religious song that's no different than traditional CCM fare (My Everything). Then, we have a 90s Buzzfeed list turned into a song featuring another band from the 90s trying to get back into the mainstream (Unbelievable). Then we have the alternative rock song with enough old-school Owl City flare in the lyrics to be a fan-favorite anthem (Bird With a Broken Wing). Then, we for some reason dive into a country song (Back Home), and then we have another EDM song for those who prefer a more religious cut than Thunderstruck (Can't Live Without You). And as if we ran out of ideas to put on the album, let's throw on one of the singles from late 2014 (You're Not Alone) and another from the Ultraviolet EP (This Isn't the End, which is honestly the weakest song from Ultraviolet). See? The tracklist sounds more like a checklist created by the label to make sure it appeals to every demographic they want than a solid story, theme, or anything cohesive that can form an album.

Some people say that the Japanese version of the album (which adds Up All Night and Tokyo while completely re-arranging the tracklisting) is more cohesive, and to an extent, I agree. However, despite the flow of the album being a bit more natural, it doesn't change the fact that the group of songs on the album makes a good mixtape, but not a good album.

I also lowkey think that Mobile Orchestra, at least in its final form, was not the album Adam wanted to put out in 2015. Shortly after the release of The Midsummer Station, there was some restructuring on his label. Universal Republic Records became Republic Records, and there was talk of the next Owl City album as early as 2013. Come 2014, Adam announced a series of EPs that was started with Ultraviolet. He also had a handful of lyric teases between 2013-2014. One was from Beautiful Times, and another was a rejected lyric from that song. The others were from songs that have never been released or even surfaced. After Ultraviolet was released, no news surfaced until September, when Adam announced he was ditching the EP plan and releasing an album. In October, he released You're Not Alone and Tokyo as singles. Then apart from a Christmas song, nothing. Several released dates were given by the label to various publications, but those dates came and went without a release. Eventually, Adam put out a newsletter saying there was delays internally with the label and he wanted his new music out as soon as possible. Though it wasn't specifically said, I think Adam and the label butted heads over the tracklisting for the album, and eventually he caved just to get some of his new music out there and decided to leave the label afterward. This is further hinted by his cover of the song "Goodbye", which was originally by Who Is Fancy (who was signed to Adam's label at the time) and seems to lyrically be about leaving the label using a relationship as a metaphor. But like I said, this much is all speculation on my part. But I hope this gives you another perspective on Mobile Orchestra.

ok but like. how was mobile orchestra so negatively received and widely hated.

even tho i love TMS i understand how people didn't like that record, but MOBILE ORCHESTRA??? what????? are we listening to the same album..?? like wdym mobile orchestra is a disgrace to all music..... idk what you're listening to but it's not mobile orchestra if that's what you have to say about it

[howyoustudythestars]

@nenerobopistol noodles are ready

[howyoustudythestars]

A new song from me and PJ (aka @clodplaye) before the end of the year. Based on Adam’s Signs of Life Instagram Reel and using the extended instrumental by Sigmarune, the song finally has lyrics at last! It’s debuting on YouTube today (December 27th) at 4:30 PM EST. After that, a free download link will be in the description of the video. We hope you enjoy it! Happy holidays, and here’s to new music in 2025!

[howyoustudythestars]

Love the lyrics in the second picture... It really speaks to me as an autistic Christian!

[howyoustudythestars]

Had an autism moment the other day and I’m gonna talk about it.

Oooouuuoaaaggghhhhhhh songs about pushing through the hardships of life with nautical themes my beloved. The song in green and yellow text (left side) is Learn How to Surf by Owl City, and the song in turquoise text (right side) is C’mon Sea Legs by Immaculate Machine. The other day I heard C’mon Sea Legs for the first time in a few years, and if you haven’t heard either song, it has a much more somber tone than Learn How to Surf. I was immediately like “Oh man these two songs are two sides of the same coin,” after which I was like “I have to relate this to my special-est interest Bee and Puppycat.” As one does.

See, I have had an AU of Bee and Puppycat in my head for over a year now in which Bee is a Lighthouse keeper, and Wesley is still super into fishing, spending as much time as he can on the water. Both are depressed, and are trying to help each other through said depression, but give each other what they themselves need, rather than what the other needs; they carry over their inability to read and convey social cues from canon.

Anyway, I wanted to draw them with day/night theming to go with the two songs and how they sound to me, and how I think they relate to the characters.

PS: I like how the water turned out in this.

[howyoustudythestars]

It's not every day I reblog a post about a Thomas movie, but when I do, it's definitely worth the read!

DayMiiAwn And The Magic Railroad (Director's Cut)

I feel I'm one of the few people who really likes the Magic Railroad Deleted Storylines. Here are some random thoughts on it.

For starters P.T. Boomer wasn't at all what I expected, but I enjoyed him none the less. It was weird how Doug Lennox delivered certain lines ("It's gonna be mine, all mine" is just begging to be said in an over-the-top maniacal voice), but there was a lot of restraint to the performance that made the character feel more real and menacing. He was basically just the aged-up version of how a playground bully would behave in this kind of movie, and I think it adds some relatability to the dynamic between him and Burnett. This is more a personal note, but I find characters (not just villains in specific) who are willing to carelessly destroy other people's belongings to be deeply upsetting, so watching him stroll through Burnett's garden and punching Mr. Conductor's flower basket might have really scared me as a kid, which I'm not saying is a bad thing. Funnily, I think the general character trait of disrespecting nature is pretty good for Boomer. It could be a nice additional subtext to the movie, if the steam engines themselves weren't so bad for the environment.

I don't really mind the lack of engine characters. Before the workprint and deleted storylines released, I was only really interested in the missing Sodor scenes, but when these things released with so little to offer, I took the time to really watch these new human scenes, and I think together they make a perfectly compelling story about familial discourse. Burnett is the grandfather. In Lily's eyes, that means he's supposed to be a warm, welcoming figure. But ever since the love of his life passed away, Burnett has become a recluse, contacted only by his far away family and his occasional errand boy Patch. Lily no longer enjoys visiting her grandpa, but if finally forced when her father is away on business and her mother is about to give birth. She crafts him a friendship bracelet, which her grandma taught her to make, in the hopes that it will finally cheer him up. Despite how mature Lily makes herself out to be, she still maintains a childish mentality about the whole thing, that because Burnett is the grandpa, he's supposed to remain a consistently positive presence. When Lily does arrive, she shares a deathly quiet dinner with her grandpa, in what is probably the least cheerful scene filmed for the movie. Afterward, she shows Burnett the bracelet and tries in vain to put it on him. Burnett pushes her away. Lily goes to bed, and only after she's gone is Burnett willing to let his grief show. The next day, Lily tries to casually bring up the subject of her grandma, and Burnett plays dumb. Sick of trying to connect with him, Lily storms off to where she ends up meeting Patch. It's good to know why she looked so pissed off in the finished movie.

Patch is hardworking, loyal, and deeply respects his elders like Billy and Burnett. Though he comes off as kind of a blank slate in the final movie, in the deleted scenes he's one of the nicest characters in the movie. Just his willingness to maintain long, wistful stories from old men proves that he has the patience of a saint. He's just a good, old fashioned country boy who's willing to help anyone. He brings Lily to Shining Time Station, then leaves for a while to do one of his many errands. And when he returns Lily is missing. Patch has shown interest in the mysterious before, but he's never shown any awareness of the magical properties of Shining Time, so when Lily simply disappears, he doesn't know what to think, leading to my favorite Cody McMains performance in the whole movie, where he sounds genuinely distraught by everything that's taken place. Something I find interesting is how Burnett's grief over his wife and his grief over Lady are treated as two wholly different plotlines, one pertaining more to Lily and the other pertaining to Boomer. Patch sits in the middle of both conflicts, and it's a little awkward watching him juggle all the different roles he needs to fill. Most noteworthy is the scene where he shamefully admits to Burnett that he doesn't know where Lily is. That Burnett put his trust in Patch, and Patch failed him. Surprisingly, Burnett isn't angry, but as he quietly walks away, Patch then flip-flops to questioning him about the lost engine, and even gets sort of interrogative with him, when he was just apologizing to him a moment ago. Then Boomer shows up, and tries to bribe Patch for information in what's actually a kind of creepy scene. Here is where Patch shows him true colors. He stands by Burnett and refuses Boomer's offer, and it's the most firm he's ever been with someone. Here we get the complete version of Lady's backstory, which was senselessly chopped in half in the final version of the film. Presenting the big reveal scene in two separate halves makes Patch visiting Burnett in his secret workshop look like a common occurrence, and doesn't really achieve the same impact the scene was written with the intent to have.

Lily leaving to go to Shining Time is when the wedge in her relationship with Burnett is driven the furthest. Burnett knows where Lily went, and in his eyes, it means she doesn't want to be around him. In Lily's eyes, Burnett is just some sad sack who wants to wallow in his own misery, and sees her presence as a burden. Meanwhile, on Sodor, Lily has observed the behaviors of Mr. Conductor and Junior, one a responsible gentleman, the other a party dude, and when they're together, they never stop arguing. Yet, when Junior is abducted, Mr. Conductor is deeply concerned about him, because in the end, they're family, and they love one another unconditionally. When Mr. Conductor explains this to Lily at the campfire, he's not lecturing her, he's simply stating a fact, then asks her opinion. Lily seems to reject the idea momentarily, but slowly realizes there's nothing there to disagree with. She does love her grandfather, no matter what mood he's in. She decides to go home. She reunites with Burnett, and the two finally share a heart-to-heart. Burnett opens up about his grief for Tasha, and manages to tie it back into his failure with Lady. This time, when Burnett shows a slight hesitance to speak, Lily supports him, rather then running away. Lily tightens the bracelet around Burnett's wrist. He doesn't push her away. Tasha and Lady are intrinsically tied. Bringing Lady back also honors Tasha's memory. From here, Burnett is like a different character. Even during the chase scene, where he vicariously confronts Boomer, he seems to have a playful attitude about the whole thing. That's the hidden beauty of the chase scene, I think. Burnett is enjoying it the same way the audience is enjoying it.

In the final movie, we don't see Burnett or Lily again after the transition from the bluebird, but of course, in the workprint and deleted storylines, Lily narrates the story' conclusion, and shows us that after coming home, Burnett was willing to let people into his life again. Inviting the whole family over to visit and reconnecting with Billy Twofeathers. He lived out the rest his days peacefully. Patch, by allying himself with the side of good, not only got to see the sights of Sodor, but would also end up marrying Lily, showing how this strange experience helped him form lifelong bonds. And our protagonist Lily has learned the true value of family. Oh, and Thomas is there too.

[howyoustudythestars]

Listened to the tornado by owl city. Whatthe fuck

[howyoustudythestars]

@noelleaxolotl @8bitbreadbox Quote the artist on it, then:

Source: https://www.facebook.com/owlcity/photos/a.305439117024/10155050947042025/?type=3&ref=embed_post

if there’s 10000 lightning bugs how come he only got 1000 hugs? 9000 of those lightning bugs need to start pulling their weight

[howyoustudythestars]

I know there's a reason and a story, but Google is really letting me down right now, and I'm drawing a blank. I think it has to do with a fan contest from Adam's MySpace days? Can any of my followers shed some light on this?

As someone who grew up a big time Owl City fan,

Why did the fandom go and call themselves hoot owls when they missed the obvious opportunity to call themselves Owl Citizens?

It still annoys me 😂

[howyoustudythestars]

Not to mention the first half of the song is sung from the perspective of said volleyball.

Kelly Time by Owl City has been one of my favorite songs since it came out--I always thought it was about a couple of friends who got stranded on a desert island and one of them tragically died, and the other made it back home and had to move on... turns out it's based off some movie called Cast Away, and the song is about a guy and his VOLLEYBALL???

[howyoustudythestars]

Previous tags:

#ok. listen. i used to watch these obsessively at age 9.#she made handrawn music videos to a bunch of owl city songs ..im so glad theyre still up#my nostalgia...#owl city#microphone effect

Sooooo..... @katieotter Are you still here?

sunburn owl city music video (katiem7)