Super mild Candela ch. 4 spoilers!
I want to talk about Alex Ward as an actor because I feel like not enough people do and he’s seriously fucking incredible.
Obviously the dude’s great at playing monsters, that’s what he mainly does professionally and what he’s most known for outside of the TTRPG space, but I just love watching the way he plays regular people.
Alex does so much with so little. His expressions are very subtle and he tends to play people who are more soft-spoken (until they’re very much not), but you’re never left wondering what he’s thinking. Even when playing people who keep things close to the chest, he leaves his heart on the floor.
He’s an extremely intuitive performer with such a deep understanding and empathy for the people he plays. He almost never breaks character, even if the focus isn’t on him — I encourage everyone to keep an eye on him during the church scene in this most recent Candela episode — everything Edgar is going through is so inherently felt that there were times where I just couldn’t tear my eyes away. You know things about this man without him ever needing to speak them out loud.
That subtlety and focus only serves to make the moments where his characters are pushed to edge even more explosive than they would be otherwise; you really feel that he’s been holding back for hours and just can’t fucking take it anymore — but they still feel perfectly timed! (We saw this with Edgar but there’s a moment in season 4 of LA by Night that comes to mind as well).
It’s so incredible to watch someone so dropped-in like this. Alex has been one of my favorite role players in the community for years and I’m so happy he’s finally getting more of the recognition he deserves.
So if you’re enjoying him on Candela Obscura, watch LA and NY by Night! Watch his episode of 10 Candles: Eclipse! You’re in for a real treat. This is a man who is great at playing monsters, but this is also a man who is great at playing people.
206 notes
·
View notes
Fang Fest 2024
EDIT: Apologies! The first image I made for this had the date wrong. it's fixed now, so please reblog this version. Thank you!
Hello Tumblr Vamily! first of all, thank you to those who participated in the Fang Fest poll(s) I posted. I read all your tags and comments and I decided to go ahead with this year's Vampire the Masquerade Fang Fest!
This year’s theme is “Tarot.” These prompts are intended to inspire fanart, fanfic, and other pieces of fanwork. Anything you wish to create and share with the vamily is very greatly appreciated!
The Fang Fest will run from June 1 - 22, 2024.
Each day, starting with The Fool on June 1 and finishing with The World on June 22, post whatever fan work you've made inspired by the Tarot card prompt (eg. art, fic, gifs, poetry, music playlists, mood boards, whatever). Please include the hashtag #vtmfangfest24 so they can all be collected here. I know there are a lot of prompts this year compared to past years, and if you can't think of anything for a particular prompt, or are otherwise unable to finish, it's perfectly fine to skip it.
Those who are not taking part in making fan work are encouraged to like, comment on, give kudos, and share their favourites! Collaboration is also encouraged, so reach out to your fellow Kindred and see what you can come up with!
Another list of the prompts and their general meanings will be available under the cut. See y'all in June!
The Fool
Innocence, spontaneity, free spirits, new beginnings, (reversed) recklessness, taking foolish risks, being held back.
The Magician
Being resourceful, inspiration, manifesting plans, (reversed) poor planning, manipulation.
The High Priestess
Intuition, divine femininity, sacred knowledge, (reversed) keeping secrets, withdrawing, being silent when your voice should be heard.
The Empress
Femininity, beauty, abundance, (reversed) over-reliance on others, suffering creative block.
The Emperor
Authority, father figures, structure, (reversed) domination, excessive control, lack of discipline.
The Hierophant
Spiritual wisdom and beliefs, traditions, established institutions, (reversed) freedom and challenging the status quo.
The Lovers
Love, harmony, relationships (romantic or otherwise, but usually romantic), your values aligning with others', (reversed) disharmony, arguments, hatred.
The Chariot
Taking action, success, willpower, being in control, (reversed) lack of direction, opposition.
Strength
Courage, compassion, persuasion, (reversed) self-doubt, low energy.
The Hermit
Soul-searching, introspection, being alone in a positive way, (reversed) unwanted isolation, withdrawing, loneliness.
Wheel of Fortune
Karma, good luck, destiny, a turning point in your life, (reversed) bad luck, resistance to change, cycles breaking.
Justice
Fairness, truth, cause and effect, (reversed) unfairness, not taking accountability, dishonesty.
The Hanged Man
Surrendering, letting go, considering new perspectives, (reversed) stalling, delays, indecision.
Death
Endings, unstoppable change, transformation, (reversed) resistance to change, unwanted purging.
Temperance
Balance, moderation, patience, (reversed) imbalance, excess, needing self-care.
The Devil
Addiction, who you are when no-one is watching, sexuality, (reversed) releasing limiting beliefs, exploring your dark side safely.
The Tower
Sudden change, chaos, upheaval, (reversed) personal transformation, averting disaster.
The Star
Hope, faith, purpose, renewal, (reversed) despair, losing faith, disconnection.
The Moon
Illusions, anxiety, intuition, (reversed) letting go of fears and repressed emotions, inner confusion.
The Sun
Positivity, fun, warmth, success, (reversed) disappointment, toxic positivity, overly optimistic.
Judgement
Rebirth, retribution, (reversed) self-doubts, ignoring opportunities.
The World
Completion, accomplishments, travel, (reversed) short-cuts, delays, not yet finding closure.
236 notes
·
View notes
Alexander Ward has irrevocably changed my brain chemistry
The way he makes characters is just. So. Fucking. Good. Jasper, Isaac, and Edgar, and all of his characters are so unique and detailed and fit into their worlds and stories so perfectly.
Alex never tries to make the ‘good’ decision or aims for the ‘best’ outcome. He goes for what will be interesting. He goes for what will serve character and narrative. THAT IS SO GOOD IN A PLAYER. So often (speaking as a GM) players will try to delay the inevitable, or try to twist a situation into having the best outcome. But if the amount of times Jasper threw himself in front of danger even when his friends told him not to, or how excited Alex was at the prospect of playing a character who dies, Alex doesn’t do that. Character and narrative above mechanics.
He also never misses with his acting. The dude’s a creature actor and you can see it in how physical he gets. From throwing himself onto the table as Edgar to Isaac’s creepy ass smile to Jasper’s everything, Alex is fucking phenomenal at portraying character even when he isn’t speaking, even when he’s just sitting and listening to other people in a scene. Also I know Alex has said that he has no idea how a character will sound until he opens his mouth but his voice work for his characters is also really good.
Basically Alexander Ward is a delight to watch in the TTRPG actual play space and if y’all are just finding him after Candela I highly recommend watching LA By Night and New York By Night.
139 notes
·
View notes