#but there is a element of privilege to get to that stage that a lot of ppl don't consider. and there are ppl with 0 degrees that have a

[beeseverywhen]

Saw a post talking about how it's stupid that literary analysis is seen as this boring excruciating thing and yep. Couldn't agree more. But it got me thinking about how much I love how ppl on this site talk about ideas that were traditionally pretty inaccessible things, restricted only to an academic elite, so casually. Like yeah there's no running from how there are people here who are determined to be anti intellectual and those that have their head up their own arses and are determined to think that they are way more intellectual than they are lol but there are even more people just talking about these ideas casually and I just think that's so important and so cool and honestly that's what the internets all about??? Its about getting exposed to people and ideas you never would have gotten exposed to irl.

Like its so fun! I love that ppl talk about philosophy and sociology and literature analysis as these everyday things that you can joke about and make memes about. Yeah loads of you are wrong lol and tumblr is the home of net zero information, but acting like there aren't idiots spouting shit in every university worldwide is ridiculous. Sometimes people are wrong and they are really sure they are right! And part of the fun of learning is accepting that and reading between the lines. Being ready to challenge people and challenge your own ideas! Yeah I just love it tbh. I love getting to see ppl sharing this specialist knowledge like it's nothing. I've been introduced to so many fascinating ideas and texts through tumblr. I love to bump in to someone raving about their speciality and let what they've told me lead me in to a total wormhole of research and end up knowing way more about an idea I never would have even considered

[invisibleicewands]

Michael Sheen steps into the shoes of Prince Andrew, and Emily had insider advice for him, too. “I spent a lot of time talking to Michael about elements of the interview that you couldn’t get from the actual tape; Andrew’s demeanour before the interview and how happy he was afterwards.”

Michael says shooting the interview scenes was “intense”. “The interview is the heart of the piece so there was a lot of pressure. And something else I found interesting is that this story still needs to be out there, and not brushed under the carpet,” he says.

The Mirror

Michael Sheen: Andrew Newsnight interview series explores ‘dangers of privilege’

Michael Sheen has said his new series based on the infamous Newsnight interview with the Duke of York is about the “dangers of privilege and entitlement”.

The Welsh actor, 55, portrays the duke in the upcoming Prime Video series A Very Royal Scandal, which depicts the interview in which former BBC journalist Emily Maitlis grilled Andrew over his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Luther actress Ruth Wilson takes on the part of Maitlis for the three episodes, which explore the events surrounding the high-profile interview.

Speaking about the show’s message ahead of the launch next week, Sheen said: “The more we’ve been working on it, it’s become clearer and clearer to me that it’s a story about the dangers of privilege and the dangers of entitlement, both for the person who has that privilege and entitlement but also for the society that is the context for it.

“And how easy it becomes to exploit people and situations, and to feel justified in doing that somehow.

“Or to not even think about it too much because you don’t have to, and the injustice in that.

“And when that happens, it is very difficult for people who have very little privilege and very little power or voice to confront that and to get people to listen.

“And so, I hope that an audience will come away from this having had an experience of that and seeing the far-reaching effects. Not only for within this story but within our culture.”

During the Newsnight exclusive, the duke was questioned on allegations that Epstein’s victim Virginia Giuffre was trafficked to have sex with him when she was aged 17.

Following the BBC broadcast in November 2019 and the furore over Andrew’s friendship with Epstein, the duke stepped down from public life.

Michael Sheen talks "exhausting" scenes with Ruth Wilson for new drama

[...] Sheen, who plays Prince Andrew in the new drama, spoke exclusively to Digital Spy about filming the groundbreaking interview in long takes, which were both "exhausting" and "thrilling".

It was one of the few times on the drama that the Good Omens star worked with Ruth Wilson, who plays Emily Maitlis, and they shot the scenes over a couple of days.

He said: "We had put so much work into it. The research and the studying of it and the talking about it, so that it felt like the stakes were very high. Knowing that the interview itself is the heart of the piece and so much comes out of that – it's about building up to it and then about the aftermath."

In the drama, the interview plays out in interwoven segments throughout the second episode. Given that it was "chopped up", Sheen said he and Wilson felt they should run the takes of the interview for as long as they could.

"The first few times we did any filming on the interview, each take was about 19-20 minutes long," Sheen said. "For anyone who doesn't know how the process works, that's incredibly long for a take.

"So there was a real crackle in the air when we were doing it. It was thrilling. It was exhausting. By the time we finished each take, it was like having come off stage doing a play. But it was amazing. I will never forget what it was like doing those early takes of that."

[smurphyse]

Ten Minutes To Curtain | Spencer Reid

Series Masterlist | Smurph's Masterlist

Part 19 of Room 405

Warnings: angst, tension, awkwardness

Summary: Spencer and Hotch head to the Nocturne to talk to Charlie... meanwhile you're getting ready backstage.

Spencer shifted uncomfortably as Hotch drove them to the Nocturne, tugging at his collar even though he’d unbuttoned the top few like you’d asked him to do.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Hotch snapped after a while, glaring at his constant adjusting.

“I’m nervous, I guess,” Spencer shrugged, but he tugged at his sleeves under his blazer. “You and Mr. Arends both said this woman is… angry and hates cops.”

“Good thing you don’t look like a cop,” Hotch offered, and now it was Spencer’s turn to glare. 

When they pulled into the parking lot of the Nocturne, it was already bustling with people and energy and it was only eight thirty. Hotch wanted to be early so Mrs. Arends couldn't sneak out when she found out they were coming. 

Men and women, customers and performers alike, milled about outside, smoking cigarettes and hanging out in elaborate outfits. Hotch had worn a sportcoat and dark slacks that were tighter than he'd wear normally, trying to blend in. Spencer was glad you'd given him some direction on what to wear as he didn't look much different from the rich clientele that waited outside. He'd worn one of his nicer watches and styled his hair just to try and fit in. 

He eyed the dancing neon sign as he had the night they found the body in the alley. Her pink leg kicked in and out as it had months ago when he first confronted you about having a husband. It felt like years now. 

They went in the front door and down a hallway that led to another door. It was dark, lit with dim fairy lights and old burlesque pictures lining the walls. Spencer tried to keep his eyes forward and not gawk at the half naked women behind the frames, but he couldn't help but think how some of those outfits might look on you. 

When they entered the next hallway, a brightly lit booth sat at one end. The woman behind the counter wore sultry makeup, dark dusted eyelids and deep plum lipstick with teased blonde curly hair. She was as scantily clad as the women in the pictures, in a pointed black bra and garter belt, but Spencer couldn't see much below that. 

"Welcome to the Nocturne," she said sweetly with a dramatic flourish of her lace gloved hand. She waved it until her palm reached out, curling her fingers in a beckoning motion, "Entry fee, fifty dollars, gentlemen."

"Fifty?" Hotch scoffed, raising an eyebrow at her. 

The woman waved her hand to a sign on the edge of the booth that read, Fifty Bucks! No ifs ands or… with a graphic of a woman's ample backside to finish off the wordplay.

They flashed one another an uncomfortable look and dug through their pockets for their respective wallets. They fished out fifty bucks and set the bills in her open palm. She brought the money up to sniff it, smirking at them over the bundle of cash. Hitting a button under the booth, the door to the right of it popped open. 

"Remember, boys," she called as they went toward it, "no touching unless you're willing to pay for the privilege."

Spencer let out an awkward breath and followed Hotch through the doorway and into yet another hall. This time there was no door blocking them from the sights inside, just a frame with music and lights emanating at the end. 

It was like they stepped into a den of sin. 

Velvet lined the walls, sultry purple booths and tablecloths scattered around the packed lounge on a Saturday night. The place was lit with dimmed fairy lights, the stage still dark, with a bar to one side that was backed by large mirrors. 

Waitresses in sky high heels and waiters in sleek oxfords wandered the lounge, dressed in…not much and leaning provocatively as they gladly took tips and slipped them into private places. Hotch and Spencer stood, starstruck, as their eyes struggled to make sense when both were so far out of their elements. 

Drag queens, drag kings, dancers and musicians all walked past them in sparkly outfits and ridiculous shoes while clients lounged about handing out cash and taking drinks. Spencer recognized a few CEOs, senators, and to his surprise an FBI agent or two among the throng of people.

It was like a circus in here, a ridiculously rich and expensive circus, but a circus nonetheless. 

"You two don't belong here," a dark voice came from behind, making both of them turn toward the bar. 

A tall drag queen in a bright green feathered robe lounged on one of the stools, sipping from a sparkling martini glass. Her slick lipstick stained the side as she smirked and set it down. Her bright orange hair was piled high on her head, curls trailing down to frame her pretty face. 

Her long legs were crossed as she leaned back on the bar, neon green platforms bobbing up and down as she watched them. She beckoned them with a finger, "How can I help you, gentlemen?"

"I'm Aaron," Hotch said smoothly, holding out a hand for her to take. She did, and he brought it up to his lips to kiss the back of her knuckles. 

When he let her go, Spencer decided on a wave. You were the only person he really liked to touch. Hotch waved a hand at him, "This is Spencer, and you are?"

"Miss Fierce," she smiled brightly, but she made no move to stand. "I'm the makeup artist here."

"We have a meeting with Mr. Arends," Hotch told her, "We're a little early, but we'd like to speak with him."

She looked off toward her right and shouted, "Daddy!"

When they turned, Charlie Arends stood up sharply from behind the bar holding a case of wine. His face went red when he spotted Spencer and Hotch, but he came quickly around the counter and set the wine down. 

Spencer had expected him to be in some sort of costume, but instead he wore a tight shirt and jeans with sneakers. His muscles were insane, but now that Spencer knew this to be a kind and sensitive bear of a man, he didn't feel intimidated by it much in the way he wasn't intimidated by Morgan anymore. 

Charlie flashed them a crooked grin and leaned on the counter toward Miss Fierce. He put his chin in his hand and smiled at her, "Trust me, these two aren't good candidates for sugar daddies."

"Oh," she tutted, waving an acrylic nail at him, "why would I need them when I have you?"

She stood on those towering platforms a head over even Charlie, leaned down and pressed her lacquer lined lips to his for a quick second before pulling away. Miss Fierce waved her glass at them as she passed, purposely walking between them so she could flash a wink and say, "Play nice, boys."

"Don't take it personally," Charlie chuckled as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, "she flirts with everyone."

"She's…sweet," Hotch smiled, looking off in the direction Miss Fierce had gone, down a hall and up some spiral stairs. 

"You guys are early." Charlie's smile turned into a twitchy grimace. He was nervous, that much was obvious. "I haven't seen my wife all day, so I haven't told her you were coming."

"Is she here?"

"Yeah, yeah," Charlie nodded, pointing off toward the spiral stars case, "Miss Fierce told me she's getting ready up behind the stage. The performers all have vanities back there."

"Shall we?" Spencer asked, but Charlie blanched. 

"I'm gonna wait until after her set…" he trailed off awkwardly. "She likes to step on my toes when she's mad at me, and if she knows you're here she's gonna be pissed. Best to have witnesses."

Spencer tugged at his collar, his eyes going wide when he noticed two women dressed in sparkly barely-there underwear smiling at him. They waved at him and an embarrassed blush ripped across his cheek. 

"What's up with you, doc?" Charlie asked when he noticed them. The girls let out playful yelps and dashed back up the stairs at Charlie's glare. 

Spencer cleared his throat awkwardly when Charlie turned back his way, "I'm…uh, highly uncomfortable."

Charlie gave Hotch an exasperated look and waved an upset hand at Spencer, "She's gonna eat him alive!"

Hotch set his own hand on Spencer's shoulder, "Charlie, it'll be fine. Just go do your set and we'll be here when you and your wife are done."

Charlie grumbled to himself and snatched the wine case from the counter, "I gotta get ready anyways. Don't get too excited by the girls, my wife is as protective of them as our kids."

"I have a girlfriend…" Spencer trailed off awkwardly as Charlie stomped away. 

Hotch huffed a laugh and steered Spencer toward the thick of the lounge. Smoke and shimmering lights flooded over them as they made their way to the center crowd, a lone table for two open for them. 

A girl in pink underwear scooted up on roller skates and deposited two whiskey tumblers on the table. She popped a large bubble from the gum in her mouth that matched her hair color, holding her hand out for a tip.

"We didn't order these," Spencer said slowly, but she shook her hand and stuck it out further expectantly. 

"Courtesy of Miss Fierce," she squeaked cheerfully, popping her gum again. "Not courtesy of me. Tip your waitresses, folks."

She pointed to a metal 50s style sign that reiterated her statement, so Spencer handed over a ten as it was the smallest bill he had. 

"Knew you cuties were good for somethin'!" she said, smiling wide and stuffing his cash in her bra, "Enjoy the show!"

Spencer cocked a brow at Hotch, who took the glass and a large pull on it, so he did the same. It was a sweet bourbon, just a hint of spice. Miss Fierce picked a perfect drink. 

He settled into the soft velvet backed chair, a perfect view of the stage in front of him. The presenter's voice rang out above the crowds in a 20s style circus MC.

"Ten minutes to curtain, friends and fiends… get your drinks now to get your kicks soon."

Spencer took another drink. It was going to be a long night. 

---------------------

You dusted body glitter over your breasts as you sat in front of your vanity. They were nearly spilling out of your bra with the bit of pregnancy weight you'd gained. You could have smacked yourself for stupidly thinking it was your period after four pregnancies and five kids. 

You were still nervous to tell Spencer, and you hadn't seen Charlie all day, so you were still holding onto your secret. It ate at your insides and made you feel sick, but you hoped dancing would take some of that away as it usually did. 

You loved performing. Even after your original shame from your origins as a stripper and call girl, you loved it. It gave you a chance to let go, your only outlet before you met Spencer. 

"Mmmm," Miss Fierce hummed as she came up the spiral stairs, her large platforms clomping and her feathered robe flowing gracefully behind her. "There's some handsome men out there tonight, Momma."

"Any eligible bachelors?" you crooned sweetly as you watched her come up behind you in the mirror. 

"There's a sweet one with puppy dog eyes you could eat up," she purred, setting her hands on your shoulders and smirking at your reflection. 

You reached up your little glitter brush and dusted her nose with it, "I'm taken lady, there's only one pair of puppy dog eyes for me."

"He the reason for those bruises on your neck?" Tessa called as Miss Fierce swatted your brush away and plopped into the seat next to you. 

"Yeah, and what about those tits you got all of a sudden?" Fierce smirked, waving a hand at your swollen bosom. "You get a boob job we don't know about?"

"Hey," you scolded playfully, trying and failing to cover them with your hand. "I've had five kids hanging off these things, of course they're big."

"That's why I'm glad mine are fake," one of the other drag queens laughed, shaking her silicone chest. "I can change the size any time I want."

You all laughed as the announcer Marty, a tattooed man with a slick handlebar mustache, called out for the ten minute curtain. The crowd roared with excitement, amping you and the other performers up. 

Charlie came up behind you in just his pants as he tugged on the top of his costume, kissing your cheek. He sat down next to you and pulled on his dancing shoes as Tessa leaned over and smiled. 

"Daddy, did you knock Momma up again? We're in a fit over her new boobs."

Charlie looked up sharply, his gaze landing on your breasts. He squinted at you but he shook his head, "Nah, we haven't shared a bottle of wine in a while."

"Shame," Miss Fierce frowned, twirling a makeup brush in her hand, "you two make such pretty babies."

Charlie looked rushed as he finished getting ready, so you turned in your seat and leaned your elbows on your knees. Tapping his forehead with your finger, you smiled softly when Charlie finally met your gaze. 

"You okay?" 

Charlie swallowed thickly like he did when he was nervous, but he flashed you a smile back, "Yeah, baby. Just got distracted."

"I told you, puppy dog eyes out there is cute," Miss Fierce crooned, and Charlie blanched. 

He stood quickly and held out his hand for you, "C'mon, they're waiting for us."

You took his hand, watching him with concern. He led you over to the stage, the large red velvet curtain waiting to be pulled up so you could be presented. 

You squeezed Charlie's hand, and he gave you a small smile as he squeezed back. You wanted to tell him about the baby right then and there, but you weren't sure what his reaction was going to be since it wasn't his. And you had work to do. 

"Do you need Manny to step in?" you asked, talking about his backup dancer. 

"No, this is our number, baby," he said with a prideful grin. "Our song."

"Okay," you hummed, deciding you'd press him on it later. "Let's make rich men spend some money."

Charlie chuckled lightly and nodded, "Let's do it."

Marty's voice echoed out, promoting a round of yells and table pounding in the crowd's excitement. 

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for…"

Notes: oooohhhhh... you guys are not prepared.... How do you think Spencer and Sweetheart are going to react when they notice eachother in the Nocturne??

CM Taglist:

@thedancingcostumeyoungadult @muffin-cup @simplyparker @spencerreidsmommy @hotchandspencearedilfs @gspenc @kbakery @nomajdetective @givemeth @hoshihiime @halloween-is-my-nationality @reidselle @thisiscalmanditsdoctorreid @dreatine @thebloomingeagle @fortheloveofwonderland @theforgottenwinter @parkerreidnorth @reidselle @randomhoex @scargarcia-magshotchner @stitchwrites @pygmygoat-bicyclehelmet @cle13 @aysixdy @elhotchner @directioner5life @elhotchner @loveeee2134 @preciousbabypeter @la-stuffs @stories-you-wont-hear @hotchlover @fortheloveofwonderland @lokiandhisdagger @bellanutellababyyy @dark-night-sky-99 @straightforbuckybutgayfornatasha @maltamurdock @charelletjee @kansas-reid @zephyrmonkey @spencer-reid-wonderland @spencersprettyslut @im-sure-its-fine @tvdstelenaforever @teddylupintonks  @lilibet261 @kneelforloki @dirtytissuebox @almostgenerallyalways @whovian378 @cl0udyqu33n @thegettingbyp2 @averagestudent03 @the-sun-died-out @squishycalumxo 

Room 405 Taglist:

@rexorangecouny @nomajdetective @halloween-is-my-nationality @spenciesprincess @hoely-scripture @gspenc @princesssmooshie @loveeee2134 @reidslefteyebrow @this-is-doctor-and-its-calm @hotchandspencearedilfs @barbietiingz @riverjane-d @2-gay-possums-in-a-trench-coat @simplyparker @thebloomingeagle @pygmygoat-bicyclehelmet @fangirling-galore @randomhoex @drspencerreid80 @kbakery@fortheloveofwonderland @athenabrown @yukachankyu @matthew-gray-gubler-lover @baciamisottolalucedicentostelle @athenabrown @theforgottenwinter @parkerreidnorth @elhotchner

[denimbex1986]

'He starred in one of the year’s most profoundly moving films, All of Us Strangers, and won praise for bringing Uncle Vanya to the London stage. Now Andrew Scott continues an impressive run of work by giving audiences a fresh take on one of the most iconic characters of them all.

Since US novelist Patricia Highsmith first brought Tom Ripley to life in a series of novels, the shrewd criminal and con-artist has enthralled readers and audiences alike.

Over the years, actors including Alain Delon, John Malkovich and Matt Damon have brought Ripley to the screen. Now the Dublin actor takes a deep dive into Ripley in a new series for Netflix - and characteristically makes the role his own. Not only does Scott take on an American accent for the role - impressively, he learned to speak Italian to play the character, who moves to the Mediterranean in the late 1950s.

“I had a wonderful Italian teacher and learned it for three or four months before we started just so you could understand it. It's a beautiful language to speak. And then of course, when you're around it, you become more interested in it," says Scott.

“It's one of the things you have to get used to a little bit as an actor - you've got to become really adept at something for a particular period, and then you have to move on to something else. I love that about acting, actually. But I'll try to keep it, I'm going to go back to Italy this year.”

Scott has given us a Ripley for the ages in the suspenseful series. It’s written and directed by Steven Zaillian, whose previous screenwriting credits include Schindler’s List, The Irishman and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

Zaillian brings Hitchcockian levels of tension to the storytelling, shot in black and white and striking in its attention to detail.

“It's the most extraordinary character and we spend so much time inside his mind and inside his world,” says Scott of taking on Ripley. “I think that's what's remarkable about it. Sometimes in a television series where there's eight hours of this, it might be about a couple, or a police department, or a family, or a hospital. This is really based on one person. We spend so much time with this guy, the character's in 95% of the eight hours, that's an awful lot of time to spend with one character.

“And so the challenge of it is to not blot the copybook too much in relation to how wonderful the mystery of the man is, as well as what we do know about him, which is that he is an enduring character that people love. But I think the questions about him, and his mysteriousness and his secretiveness, are a reason that he's so fascinating to play.”

Understandably, he opted not to watch other performances depicting Tom Ripley, though he had seen Alain Delon in Purple Noon and Matt Damon in The Talented Mr Ripley years previously.

“I love both those versions for different reasons. It's happened before in relation to Shakespearean characters, you think: ‘Oh, I don't want to see that’. You want to be able to put your own stamp on it.

“I was very lucky because I received the full eight hours of scripts, a big pile of scripts to read, which is very unusual for an actor. You usually get maybe one or two episodes. I had the whole thing mapped out and I knew immediately how extraordinarily written they were and sparsely written.

“I love the film noir-ish element to it. It's absolutely exquisite to look at and I love the opaqueness of playing this character. It felt like a real departure for me.”

The series was shot in New York and various glamorous locations throughout Italy including Rome, Capri, the Amalfi Coast and Palermo, as Scott’s Tom Ripley travels to Europe to seek out an old acquaintance, the wealthy and privileged Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn).

As a boy, a shy Scott took up acting classes and quickly fell in love with the craft - playing the Tin Man in one of his first ever performances.

Years later, he went on to star in several Irish dramas including Jimmy’s Hall and Handsome Devil. He gave us the villainous Moriarty in a TV adaptation of Sherlock and the legendary ‘hot priest’ in Fleabag.

“I think we all as human beings want to do something that's of use to other people,” he says of his career. “You want to do something that's useful in the world. I suppose I appreciate more now, how much this can be of use to people, and how it genuinely helps.

“I do feel like I try to force myself sometimes into appreciating that what I do can be of use to people and it's not a frivolous thing, because I know that actors and artists of all different persuasions have really helped me.”

There have been many memorable screen performances from the Irish actor, but theatre is at the very heart of what he does, and his recent successes include an award-winning run of Vanya, which also screened widely in cinemas.

“It's just like injecting the atmosphere straight into your veins,” he says of live performance. “You don't wait around - you're the chief artist, if I'm honest, as an actor. In the theatre, you're in charge.

“If the audience is getting bored, it's your job to pick the pace up, it's your job to be sort of all seeing, and there's nothing like that. If you don't exercise those muscles, you lose them and I don't want to lose them. I find it just the purest form of storytelling. Vanya was exhilarating, and exhausting, and all the things.”

Scott brought audiences one of the finest screen performances of the year in All of Us Strangers, which audiences are falling in love with on streaming services following its successful cinema run. He and his friend and co-star Paul Mescal entertained fans with their banter while publicising the film.

“It's been extraordinary,” says Scott of the film’s reception. “I’m still processing that actually, how affecting the film was for people. I suppose I understand for my own personal reasons more now why it affected people so much.

“I did that project with people that I really love - Paul especially. And when we brought it back to Ireland it was completely magical for both of us. It was very, very special. I'm very grateful to have just been part of it, not just the film, but the process and the reception and everything about it.”

Ripley comes to Netflix from Thursday, April 4. www.netflix.com/Ripley.'

[ca-suffit]

anon from this ask: https://www.tumblr.com/ca-suffit/757613676896337920/im-sorry-your-takes-are-generally-pretty-great-and?source=share

first thanks for hearing me out and your thoughtful response. had to think about it a bit and analyze some of my own biases. i think i have a certain amount of trust in the show around what I expect they're going to do with lestat in terms of examining the privilege he has (a white abuser in the spotlight telling his story would be a great topic to unpack, especially via daniel), but i know that's fully based on nothing! it would just be such a waste if they didn't. so I am putting more expectations on an objectively minor glimpse of information so I'll pare that back in my reply.

the one thing i wanted to clarify and emphasize was the 'groundbreaking'-ness of whatever lestat is doing here. i am not really arguing that he appears to be doing something cutting edge or never been done before, and i don't think he needs to be. (practically speaking, we're talking about art within an art aka a tv show, the art of a fictional character, there are limits.) given the large list of influences, they appear to be leaning into recognizable fashion and sound, but just because it's pastiche doesn't make it, like, uninteresting as a queer performance. on a more meta level, it's really fucking cool to see them leaning into glam rock and queer influences after the heterosexualization of Queen of the Damned, and letting a lead queer character be trashy and messy and also polarizing - not everyone is going to LIKE his music.

and yes it will speak to the individual. not every queer person will find this interesting. i guess what i wanted to defend was the elements of queer fandom who feel seen or moved by what they've decided to do here and i hate to see that get dismissed as memes alone or like no real queer person would find this good/worthy, as some of the other asks have implied, or that it's ONLY a symptom of white fandom. but i get that your blog in particular makes a space for fandom critique and there certainly is a lot of critique, and a lot of uncritical ~slay queen~ type response. i wanted to offer an alternative perspective, i guess. (and when I think of lestat making himself into a "queer icon", i personally don't mean a champion of activism or a beacon of positive representation. he's a horror character at the same time and has done terrible things. this is why I like the show, though.)

lastly, your point about the other characters and their art connections: absolutely!!! the fact that EVERY character here has an art connection for me makes this tv show a queer text in general. I want to add these art connections are complicated. lestat is as much a monster about music as it gives him humanity. louis's struggle with photography feels like a coda about his former struggles about his homosexuality. claudia giving up on her passion for the stage through armand's abuse is heartbreaking.

emphasizing lestat as the only artist would be a mistake. I think what sets him apart for me is that his art and also his queerness vs, say, louis and his art and queerness, is more of a divide between public vs private. louis did make an attempt to enter a public space and was shut down/discouraged. lestat reaching an in-fiction iconic status is a matter of privilege (as well as his personality, lol). i don't really have an argument here, just responding and hopefully adding to the discourse.

hi and thank u for coming back!!

despite what some ppl want my reputation to be, I do actually like talking about things and giving space for multiple perspectives. it helps nothing to take sides and be at war with each other all the time. a lot of why this fandom has gotten worse is bcuz ppl are doing exactly that. u can like whatever u like, but understanding the criticisms of the thing are crucial too. a big issue surrounding lestat is that ppl aren't used to his whiteness (or whiteness in general) being commented on. white fans, especially, will find it rly jarring to be perceived that way and take it rly personally. there's so many ppl here who think I'm calling them racist just bcuz I'm talking about lestat and prbly his white ignorance or smthing. they apply it to themselves and feel like a bad person for liking him. then they shut down and block me, even if our conversation was calm. white fragility is a hard thing to overcome.

there's not much u can do to avoid maybe being clumped in with white fandom if u like lestat, but it's not like the reality is that those are the *only* ppl who like him. that lie they perpetuate that everyone else is a lestat hater, loumand shipper or whatver is bullshit. they're overly simplifying a deeper issue bcuz they're racist, manipulative, and stupid. plenty of ppl like lestat and aren't part of that group. but u are gonna have to get used to being judged for liking him in some ways bcuz this fandom *has* made association with him a red flag. it doesn't mean *everyone* is gonna be hostile to u about it tho, but it does mean ur gonna have to change expectations and be a lot more open to hearing criticisms of it all. ppl aren't rly dismissing him outright or saying ur bad for liking him, it's just a fatigue surrounding his character and the fierce protection of whiteness this fandom has built around him (alongside anne's racist history and favoring of him too already). I mean, it seems like ur already aware of this, but just to put it into words too. lestat has always been an interesting, fucked up character and ppl should feel free to identity and explore whatever with him just like any other character.

tbh a lot of his point has been to be a little stupid and cringe anyway. idk how ppl read his narration and take it srsly and believe he's actually hot shit. he should be a disaster idiot rockstar with an ego that doesn't match his actual presentation. I'm hoping they might explore a lot with that. he's having a mental breakdown in every book but doesn't seem aware that he is, so what better way to explore that than with the white rockstar angle. that's p much all of them anyway lol and if ur queer (and a vampire having a neverending existential crisis) then even more so prbly.

[milaswriting]

Something I love about this game is how I feel like I can have scenes with characters that are not my selected ro and still not miss anything,like I was doing an A run and I'm pretty sure the only time I chose to be with them was at the flower beds (and even then i didn't talk to them) where usually I'll focus in whichever character I'm romancing and only choose their scenes, i did my project with B,talked about the supernaturals with K and then did the tour with B as well, and i didn't feel like i missed anything (except maybe giving A a flower but im personally ok with that cause it wouldn't be in character for my own mc)

Something i noticed (that I can't believe I didn't before) while playing recently to flesh out my mc more is that K and A's thing is that they both assume they know the mc purely because they're rich/human. When you talk to them about hating the compulsion K tells you (and themselves) that they're not a bad person for doing it because they didn't want the mc to remember seeing someone die and A straight up tells you they did you a favor, but that's the thing,they don't know the mc, what they've been through,what they can and cannot endure,they just assume even before you meet them and they continuously ignore the fact that they might be wrong.

ANOTHER THING is that i can't wait for the DENIAL option in the next update. My A route is just going to be two emotionally constipated assholes who cannot for the life of them deal with their emotions because of the creeping loneliness their parents inflicted on them,i can already see the constant pull-and-push that's going to be and how the rest of the characters are just going to be on the sidelines waiting for this idiots to stop being... Idiots.

Hello, thank you! I'm glad this is an element in game that you like. I want each route to as unique as possible whilst sticking to the plot I've created, soo knowing that works is great.

Yes, initially A and K's thought is that the mc is someone human and somewhat special because they're rich, but I think that gradually begins to change. But that wasn't their determination for explaining their thoughts on the compulsion, at that stage, A and K are pretty far from just thinking the mc is rich and human — they genuinely care/are concerned about the mc. For example, as the compulsion was happening, A is the first to angrily ask K what they're doing, and question if the compulsion will work, not for their own privilege, but because meddling with the mind can result in bad outcomes.

When you talk to either of them, their thought is that having the memory of someone dying isn't fun... because it isn't. But I also wanted the chat to showcase their ways of dealing with emotions in stressful situations... but also showcased their flaws because every single one of the characters I've written has flaws.

Anyway, a bit of a tangent, but yes, they definitely do ignore getting to know the mc etc. but by the compulsion, I think they're a lot more open in terms of at least sympathising and wanting to understand the mc, which will obviously grow into more.

And the in-denial route! The choice only appears in one choice selection at the moment, but if you readers enjoy it then it can be something that continues in the series. I hope it comes off well in the new update — I'd tell you which choice selection the in-denial choice comes in, but that would be a spoiler, and ruin the chance of more replayability.

[peppertaemint]

Ooooh Shinee world is a mess today and for once it's not taemints fault 🥲

An article about fans asking for a Taemin would tour and "shawols" in the quotes going "no shinee" "shinee first" "wait until Jinki comes back so shinee can have a world first"

Like, I too would love a Shinee world tour, I want all of them both solo and as a group to go everywhere(in particular where I am but I won't hold my breath) but that wasn't what it was about. It was fans of Taemin's solo music asking for a tour.

It baffles me cause you never see this kind of thing with the other members. No ot5 shawol will ever expect another member to put their work on hold but, when it comes to Taemin it's like some people can't stand to see him spread his wings.

People never expect Key to put his variety work second, or for Minho to not take acting job, shawols have actively gotten mad if they think Minho had to turn down acting stuff due to his schedule. All Taemin does is music. That is his thing but some fans just cannot seem to respect his career. And all the baby talking in the quotes "we love our cutsey wootsy little taeminnie *but*..."

It's getting really irritating. I used to think some of what taemints say is exaggerated and I still believe that a bit. People were getting angry that the Shinee account didn't post Taemin's hanteo artist of the year nomination and only posted Shinee's, but it makes sense to me. They don't want to split votes and a win for Shinee is a win for all of them. But at the same time some of the disrespect I've seen towards him from supposedly ot5 shawols has been eye-opening.

I dunno, this fandom has been a mess lately and it's only the 4th. 2024 is off the quite the start.

Lol, I sort of find it funny when it's not Taemin fans being the mess-makers. Like they are the worst-behaved, though I would say each solo fandom has their unique flavor. But, what you're highlighting is the biggest open secret in shawol-dom.

Let's have sexy photos in this post for no reason.

Like, shawols are for the most part chill. I've been around these parts for a long time, and a bad day in shinee world is miles and miles better than a bad day in BTS fandom and similar. There isn't violent language or a huge level of harassment. I just want to acknowledge that because the complaints I'll make next are from the privileged shinee world perspective where there is a higher behavior standard. That is the case, even when Taemin fans are being stupid. Like, not once did I see the Golden Disc Awards violently harassed.

So, the open secret: it's all yay Taemin until he gets too much attention. And you noticed it's still very much "our baby taemin" even tho man's been out there trying to fuck the stage for a decade, lol. I see these as two sides of the same coin. They want him in his place as perpetual baby to uwu over, and daring solo work is fine as long as it doesn't outshine everything.

I think with Key it's easier for people to compartmentalise because he's super super successful outside of SHINee when it comes to TV and sponsorships (istg he IS Olive Young, lol; his face was all over Seoul), but those things don't directly compete with SHINee's work. These are complementary endeavours. Key's solo work is now having its career high since Bad Love, and it's only growing, so this condescending solo situation may repeat itself. But, Key's also not the group's little baby. I can't see him being treated the same. The fandom's most egregious behavior towards him has always been rooted in stereotypes. I mean, look how quickly and comfortably people slotted him into this squabbling "marriage" dynamic with Minho. Their arguing is funny, despite how played up for the camera it can be, but I see a lot of "iykyk" weird posts about him and Minho. Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked.

There is always going to be an element of competition when it comes to solo work. Onew's Circle just got named Billboard's #1 kpop album of 2023. Guilty didn't even make their best of list. Now, I think Guilty was overlooked but Onew deserved #1. It's an extraordinary album. Minho is cultivating this very sexy and mature solo repertoire. This competition will grow, but I think Taemin will always be the target of condescension, minimizing and infantilizing.

He's the perpetual baby who will be put in the obedient baby box. And those fans will be incised when/if Taemin gets to do something they find meaningful before SHINee, even if it's a clear matter of logistics. There is a definite attitude present, and you might notice there is a certain superiority fans have over his solo work. I've been in situations where people have quite literally said they think X member's solo concerts are better than Taemin's with their whole chests. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but when it comes to him, people are wayyyyy to comfortable putting him down.

Anyway, it will always be a bigger "but not him" with Taemin because he was given solo first and has built this legacy of work and has a lot of influence within the industry. Stolid group fans take pride in that when it suits them, but want him to be sidelined when it interferes with their desires.

[rhetoricandlogic]

Saevus Corax gets Away with Murder - K.J. Parker

The final book in this rapidly issued trilogy (all three books published in two months). Classic KJ Parker, and book 3 finished off well this epic life story and adventures of Saevus Corax.

There’s a dark central thread to it, comparable with the Engineer trilogy. As for that series war and the consequences for ordinary people caught up in it feature heavily and this seems particularly appropriate at the moment when apparently unstoppable conflicts are all around us in our seemingly more civilised era.

On the book specifically, Saevus is back scavenging on the battlefields of small conflicts with his team of war equipment recyclers. However, rumours of a much bigger war are circulating and it may be time for the small scale operators to stay safe and keep out of the way for a while. In addition, the almost PTSD that Saevus suffers from due to the incident in book 1 that led him to leave his privileged youthful life takes centre stage again as people from that past reappear. And to my surprise Love emerges as a major theme. I’ve noted in other KJ Parker books that if it’s recognised at all it’s often as a great evil - the pleasure you may get from it can be easily outweighed by despair from its sudden lose. There is an element of that view here but this is the nearest to a romance that I recall in a KJ Parker novel. Even a dash of sex (“…I made rather a hash of it, but she didn’t seem to mind. It’s the thought that counts, she told me.”).

The plot is epic in its scope, with Saevus witnessing major events while dealing with his personal issues. There’s a lot of warfare, though not much witnessed first hand, often more the tragic aftermath. A dark tone overall with Saevus attempting to plod on with his life though often in a state of resignation as events unfold around him. And his family background really does not help. I’ve decided anything by KJ Parker is my comfort reading, if not always with a comfortable content. An interesting, unpredictable, convoluted story that makes you think about humanity’s pointless conflicts. This one has less observational wry humour to compensate than some but is an absorbing read. A must for KJ Parker fans.

[beverage2000]

hey so after rewatching r1ct for the 19th time maybe i should actually get around to sendig asks abt it SO HEY i've been trying to make a more abstract sort of story and it seems i have trouble with ... being abstract in general. i usually can't come up with any sort of weird imagery or storylines without borrowing heavily from something else. it's highly inconvenient. How do you go about the concept process for your films ? any major takeaways from art school or things i should try ? :0

Wow. this is like the last ask i ever expected to get so first of all thank you for watching R1CT....19 times?!?? this may be hyperbole but either way thank you. its a project that went through a lot of stages and changes and difficulties and it means a lot to me

*puts my hands on your shoulders*i have to tell you something. there is no way you can come up with shit without referencing or borrowing from others' work. im working on a zine/book/thing about the entire journey of making it but basically my"concept process" was a 30-month mess that started out with 1 sketch on the train, which became an idea for a way too ambitious yet still half-assed fully hand-drawn second-year film..but put through the play-doh spaghetti machine of covid i started having a different relationship with myself, with my computer, with my computer-self.. and it morphed slowly and weirdly into wut it is i guess. i dont think i could recreate those circumstances if i tried lol. but yea im rambling too much so let me actually try to answer your question

so ya like i said its actually important and beneficial to borrow from other peoples works. i definitely have the privilege of going to art school to help with that cause i was exposed to a variety of different media and art and obscure films i probably wouldnt have seen otherwise. but i will say itll serve u well to branch out and look at art forms other than the one youre studying, even stuff that seems boring or not relevant. and combine the elements that inspire u the most and make something of ur own. some big inspirations that went into the melting pot early on were: the movie la selva oscura by carlos santa, the opening for the 1974 anime majokko megu-chan, the 1983 movie rock & rule, the matrix, movies by gregg araki, roberto rossellini, david lynch(sorry), elaine may, jonni phillips(to whom i owe so much), among many others; the animated series transformers: beast wars, sally cruikshank's quasi at the quackadero, the artworks of fernand leger and leopold survage (both part of the Cubist scene but had a conceptual interest in filmmaking)...... yeah i could go on for a really long time. (i guess i already did). if you look at this stuff you can probably see lots of elements of these things, in r1ct but it still ended up being something at least semi-original.. so yea go to the library look at art books watch old movies, find stuff u hate, find stuff u like. absorb shit and make shit. dont be afraid to do something way different than what youre used to. basically just go crazy

shoutout 2 any1 who managed to read through this whole thing LOL. i encourage you to check out at least one of the things or artists i mentioned here and yea.. thank you again:)i hope you can look forward to more works in the R1CT cinematic univere

[ballet-symphonie]

Thank you for all your ballet insight!! I'm curious about the relationships between female and male soloists who perform pas de deux's and regular roles together in professional companies. I can't imagine it would be enjoyable to be so physically close to a coworker you don't like, especially if the role is romantic in nature. Is a dancer expected to dance with anyone managments puts with them? Do partnerships often "fail"? Is it safe to assume frequent partnerships are friends? Also, what do you think makes someone a good partner?

I'm glad you enjoy it! Dancing with someone is like any other part of our job, it has its positives and negatives. Of course, sometimes I'll end up dancing with a person who I'm not the biggest fan and you just have to fake it. In the corps, sometimes you get paired with a person and your dancing really doesn't gel well together and this can also be uncomfortable.

But yes, you generally are stuck with whoever management pairs you with and are expected to comply without complaints. Prinicpal dancers can and do make requests but that's a massive privilege. Most of the time, if they're frequently dancing together it is safe to assume that they're at least semi-decent friends. It's also pretty easy for me to tell on stage if a couple is particularly close (not necessarily romantically) and has a good relationship. Tereshkina and Kim are an excellent example of this intangibility, you can see their communication and connection instantly.

I wouldn't say partnerships often completely fail, but it does happen. Sometimes you'll see two people dance together like once and then never again because it just didn't work out for whatever reason. Of course, breakups are another reason, but yes I have seen exes dancing together in a pinch.

I don't like dancing with lazy guys? But I imagine they also don't like dancing with me because I'm a bit of a workaholic and I need to practice a lot to have confidence in myself. As partnering is generally more tiring and difficult for the guy, some are less willing than others to do elements over and over again. I also like dancing with people who have good communication and like to experiment and see what works for us together. Like if I'm doing something wrong or I need to change something to help you? Tell me!! Don't just sulk in the corner and complain to your friends or just roll you eyes and say that the whole thing is fine when it's clearly not. The dream partner is also really really good at feeling where your balance point is and adjusting your weight accordingly and seamlessly. My biggest pet peeve though is if I dance with someone and there are bruises from their fingers squeezing too hard on my ribs the next day...bad technique HURTS.

Ballet's not that much different from life guys

[yesterdanereviews]

Snowpiercer (2013)

Film review #567

Director: Bong Joon-Ho

SYNOPSIS: After an attempt to halt climate change by releasing a chemical into the atmosphere, the Earth has turned into a frozen wasteland. The only survivors live aboard a trans-continent train that takes one year to travel the globe. At the front of the train, the people live in luxury, while those at the rear live in squalor. Among them is Curtis, who is scheming to revolt and make his way to the front of the train, and lead the people there to a better life...

THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: Snowpiercer is a 2013 sci-fi post-apocalypse film based on the French graphic novel of the same name. The opening introduces us to the premise of the film; in which a solution to climate change was to disperse a chemical into the atmosphere, but this had an effect of completely freezing the earth and rendering it uninhabitable. The only survivors are living aboard a train that is constantly moving around the world, completing one full trip every year. The train is separated into a very specific order, with the wealthy and privileged living a life of luxury in the front cars, and the lower class living in squalid conditions in the rear carriages. One such person, Curtis, is working on a plan to stage an uprising to get to the front of the train and take control. The film follows the revolution as it travels through the train from the back to the front, and while you might be a little sceptical of how much variety and action you can fit in a 2-hour film set inside a train, you need not worry, as the film does a solid job of keeping things interesting, and varied. You get the claustrophobic feel of the carriages thanks to the impressive camerawork and crowded sets that generate a unique environment. Different carriages look like slums, factories, classrooms, restaurants, and nightclubs, all bound up in the same physical dimensions of a train carriage, and it's very solidly executed. The story is a fairly simple one to follow, and again, despite it's linearity, the film is able to drop in plenty of surprises and unique obstacles as the cast travel through the train. Perhaps they could have done something a bit more impactful with the ending, but that's the only criticism I can think of.

The cast of characters are well defined, and often exaggerated personifications of different facets of society. Curtis is the reluctant leader of the revolution, and you get a decent insight into the decisions he makes and how they weigh upon him. There's also a constant element of danger, as the stakes are constantly raised as a reminder that no one is safe; as main characters get killed left and right, and the revolution is always in a precarious position. The cast feels genuine, and on the whole the film is well acted, with a good, varied cast.

As mentioned, the film really shines in it's design and atmosphere: the train is able to encapsulate all these familiar environments, but with the twist of being contained in a carriage. It doesn't rely on cheap special effects, but rather well-co-ordinated action sequences that, thanks to the cramped settings, put you right in the action. The premise of a global-spanning train might sound a bit silly, and a post-apocalyptic setting that is used because only the best ones have already been done to death, but Snowpiercer genuinely offers something refreshing and exciting, combining a harsh and gritty setting with some stylish and exuberant characters. While the ending leaves things open-ended, it's a satisfying journey that combines a layer of seriousness and high stakes with some more absurd and exaggerated characters that lift the film out of being a total gloomfest just enough. Yes, the train is a thinly-veiled metaphor for the class-system, and there's not a lot of surprises in that regard, but the film genuinely surprises in being an entertaining, action-packed story despite the kneejerk impressions you might have of a revolution taking place on a train. I genuinely enjoyed it more than I thought I would, and again, while not perfect, excels in enough ways to take it an entertaining and interesting watch.

[christianhepburnhndphotography]

Paper Movies

Joel Meyorwitz

Joel Meyerowitz, New York City, Times Square, 1963,

Be willing to go out into chaos and interact with moments.

Go out there and watch life and what people do physically.

Street photography is a way of learning to read your culture.

Responding to things and learning what they mean to you.

Boogie

Group Guns 1, Gangs, by Boogie

Have your camera with you at all times, you never know when something is going to happen.

When you are behind the camera you are not a participant, you are an observer.

It's about becoming what you are shooting.

The deeper you go, the better pictures you take.

After you die, you leave photography behind, like you become immortal.

Max Kozloff

I New York photographer have to take into account, noise, movement, combustion, energy and danger. To record a human setting.

Martha Cooper

Street Play, Martha Cooper.

Looking for public spaces, how people are using the space and surviving.

Preserving the spaces.

If she didn't photograph graffiti a lot of it would be lost.

Capture different backgrounds.

You capture something that might be of interest in the future.

With digital you should shoot everything

Jill Freedman

Street Cops, Jill Freedman

Wanted to capture what it meant being a good cop in New York City.

She had to be at the scene first to get the shot.

She worked at being invisible

"don't do the crime, don't get your picture taken"

It's a great privilege to take a great picture of someone.

It's the only tool that will stop time.

Jeff Mermelstein

Sidewalk Woman with Money in Mouth, Jeff Mermelstein

Loves photographing people, who they are and what they're doing.

The most exciting thing about street photography is the element of surprise.

He likes that people think his photography is funny.

His process is instinctual, when on the street.

You create your luck and there is a lot of work involved.

Taking pictures without permission causes problems.

Helen Levitt

Two old New Yorkers eating watermelon , 1971. Helen Levitt

She was able to conceal herself because of her size, her small camera and agile movement.

Rebecca Lepkoff

Group #2, Lower East Side, 1948, Rebecca Lepkoff

She photographed where people lived, how they lived and what they were doing, It was about humanity.

Space in photography has a lot to do with dance. The space you have on the stage.

The camera makes a document of how things are.

During the time of The Photo League, many great photographers came there to talk to people.

Clayton Patterson

Evolution of The Lower East Side, Clayton Patterson

New York had a class of people that he could identify with and he found the energy comforting.

He was consistent in photographing people outside his front door, his neighbourhood and put the pictures on his window.

He photographed street people.

"It's not about you as an individual, it's about you as a community"

Photography is about preserving the moment for the future, an activist tool and it gives you access to places.

He went to jail, because he didn't hand over video footage to the police.

He captured the social factor that most people overlook.

He wanted his work to be relevant and significant.

He's had confrontations, been beaten up by the police, cut and had his teeth knocked out.

Eliott Erwitt

"there are to many bad pictures in the world but there is always room for good ones"

Good pictures illuminate, entertain, amuse and make people feel.

"digital manipulation kills photography"

With digital photography, everybody can take an image, not everyone can take a good one.

Bruce David

He lived in his dark room.

All he cared about was taking pictures.

He gave his subjects his pictures, in return for privacy, and to make them more comfortable with him being there.

People are glad you're there to see them, because no-one is paying attention.

Bruce Gilden

He likes film noir and shadows

He photographs characters, people with striking detail.

He jumps into peoples faces with a flash to isolate them and to separate the background from the foreground.

He shows the stress, energy and anxiety of the city.

You can be invisible by being close, when you are close, sometimes people don't think you are taking their picture.

People in his pictures are symbols for what he sees, as an expression of the world.

Jamel Shabazz

He finds it difficult taking a picture without the person knowing. There is something magical about approaching a stranger and convincing them that you are sincere.

He uses his camera everyday.

He compliments his subjects first, gives them the print as a marketing tool.

He wanted to capture homelessness and prostitution.

Mary Ellen Mark

Attitude: Portraits, 1964–2015, Mary Ellen Mark.

She finds out when they are events and shoot around them

The hardest form of photography is street photography, because you have to think on your feet.

Doesn't believe in cropping but making the picture in camera.

Her goal is making iconic images

[kvibe-test]

<img src="https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1046530452657279067/1258856232005926983/kvibestudios_Cinematic_scene_of_a_modern_Bahamian_TV_studio_wit_8eccf68f-7e4f-4fbb-b66f-9d719834c2f5.png?ex=668990ba&is=66883f3a&hm=9d1558f0d22e600820c915cfde607bba89fa9ad335ed5c409a5047b7c224d785&"> Revamping Bahamian TV: BTC Starmaker Success

I remember vividly the moment I set foot in the Bahamas to work on 'BTC Starmaker Season 5.' The challenge of revitalizing the show was both thrilling and daunting. The Bahamian television industry had been in a rut, and it was essential to inject fresh energy and creativity into this talent competition. We aimed not only to entertain but to discover and nurture local talent, giving them the platform they deserved. From the auditions to the final eliminations, every phase was meticulously planned to ensure engagement and high-quality production.

Initial Challenges

The first hurdle was upgrading the production quality. The previous seasons had set a foundation, but there was room for improvement. We needed to make everything bigger and better—from the stage setups to the audiovisual elements. Connecting with the local crew was also crucial. They brought invaluable insights that were essential for capturing the Bahamian essence authentically. For many, it was their first time working on a project of this scale, so there was a lot of training and upskilling involved.

"You need to get everyone on the same page," I often reminded myself. An engaged team is a successful team, and we spent countless hours in pre-production, ensuring that everyone understood the vision.

Unleashing Local Talent

One of the most rewarding aspects was discovering the immense talent in the Bahamas. The auditions revealed a wide range of extraordinary singers, dancers, and entertainers, all brimming with potential. Many contestants had never performed on such a big stage before, and you could see the mix of excitement and nerves in their eyes.

"The nerves are good," I would tell them. "They mean you care." Offering mentorship and encouragement to these artists wasn't just a responsibility; it was a privilege. Each contestant had a unique story, often marked by struggles and perseverance. These stories weren’t just backgrounds; they became pivotal aspects of the show, adding emotional depth and human connection.

Changing the Dynamics of Bahamian Television

'BTC Starmaker Season 5' wasn't just a show; it was a movement aimed at breathing new life into Bahamian television. By integrating advanced technologies and storytelling methods, we sought to elevate the entire viewing experience. Modernizing the voting system to allow real-time audience participation was one significant move. The Bahamian viewers loved it. Engagement soared, and everyone talked about the show at work, school, and social gatherings.

This heightened public interest wasn't just good news for us; it was a boost for the entire Bahamian TV industry. It opened the door for more innovative projects and attracted local investment, pivotal in driving future initiatives. We saw a diversification in TV content, from reality shows to drama series, expanding the range and quality of local programming.

Collaborating with BTC, we secured funds that significantly upgraded the technical aspects of the show. We employed cutting-edge cameras and sound systems, transforming the visual and auditory experience into something vastly more sophisticated than previous seasons. This technological overhaul set new standards, encouraging competition and raising the bar for Bahamian productions.

Creating a Community Experience

The ripple effect extended beyond the screens. Local businesses and vendors benefited from the shoot locations and live shows. The show turned into a communal celebration, a shared experience that resonated deeply with the Bahamian people. Even post-production, the conversations and communal spirit continued, proving that 'BTC Starmaker Season 5' had achieved far more than just high ratings.

We created workshops for aspiring artists, providing them not only with a stage but also the tools to thrive. These workshops focused on various elements—vocal training, stage presence, and even branding and marketing. By equipping the participants with a comprehensive skill set, we were investing in the future of Bahamian entertainment.

As I look back, the successes and challenges all mesh into a profound experience. Producing 'BTC Starmaker Season 5' wasn’t merely about showmanship; it was about uplifting an entire community and industry. From the talented contestants to the dedicated crew and the enthusiastic audience—each of these played an integral part in the journey.

The Bahamian TV landscape witnessed a transformation, and being a catalyst for that change is something I carry with pride. It’s episodes like these that reaffirm why I love entrepreneurship—it's all about creating something that outlasts and transcends you, improving lives in the process.

#BTCStarmaker #BahamianTalent #TelevisionRevival #Entrepreneurship #KhoaLe

/post/revamping-bahamian-tv-btc-starmaker-success

[project1939]

200 Films of 1952

Film number 184: About Face

Release date: February 28th, 1952 

Studio: Warner Brothers 

Genre: musical 

Director: Roy Del Ruth 

Producer: William Jacobs 

Actors: Gordon MacRae, Eddie Bracken, Dick Wessen, Virginia Gibson 

Plot Summary: Three friends get ready to graduate from a military school while dealing with various girl problems. Boff is secretly married to Alice, Tony steals Lorna from a rival, and Dave doesn’t know Betty is actually the Colonel’s daughter. 

My Rating (out of five stars): **½  

Here’s some fluff for ya! But instead of being airy insubstantial fun, it’s a dull kind of fluff that flattens out pretty quickly. This is a musical with almost no plot- it's just short segments in the love lives and school antics of three friends in military school. Gordon MacRae's voice and some of the songs give the film a lift, but far too much of it is filled with unfunny gags and low low stakes drama. (minor spoilers)

The Good: 

Gordon MacRae. He wouldn’t star in Oklahoma! and Carousel for a few years yet, but you can see the elements of a great leading man here. He’s a pleasantly handsome boy next door type with a singing voice that could stop traffic. He’s also not a bad actor. His songs were the best part of the film for me. 

Alice and Betty, played by Phyllis Kirk and Virginia Gibson, were my favorite girls. They were both really cute and sweet and did just enough to rise above the paper-thin characters they played. 

This was Joel Grey’s first film? He was such a baby, I wouldn’t have known until I checked the credits. His scenes were fun to watch just because he was a tiny teenage Joel Grey. His character was a little over the top, and they gave him a lot of unfunny gags, but that’s not his fault! 

I liked the opening number as the students got ready for school in the morning. It was super cheesy, but I got a kick out of it. 

The Bad: 

The jokes and gags were almost uniformly unfunny. (Ha! No pun intended.) 

The stakes were ridiculously low. Who will go with whom to the dance? How will the college baseball game end? What prank will they play on their young superior Lieutenant Jones? If you’re not in the mood to deal with the insanely inconsequential “problems” of privileged people, stay away from this movie! 

The plot was much too loose and unstructured. 

The main actors were too old to be playing 21-year-olds. MacRae and Wessen were 30, and Eddie Bracken was nearing 40! They did look younger than their real ages, but not that much! 

Here we have yet another 1952 film about military training that makes it look like summer camp! Most of the rules were ludicrously lax. 

The music overall was not very good. It was almost generic sounding, and you had to search to find a melody in some of the comic numbers. 

Most of the musical numbers were not creatively staged or shot. 

Where'd Alice go at the end? She disappeared for the entire final act, not even showing up on screen for one second after she gave birth to a baby! 

[joannad95]

How can we create a logo?

An Extensive Aide On the best way to Make a Noteworthy Logo

In the powerful universe of business, a logo fills in as the visual diplomat of a brand, embodying its substance and speaking with the interest group. Creating a significant and effective logo requires an insightful cycle that thinks about different components. This far reaching guide will walk you through the means of making a logo that mirrors your image way of life as well as reverberates with your crowd.

Figuring out the Fundamentals

Prior to diving into the innovative approach, understanding the fundamentals is vital. A vital logo goes past feel; it typifies the fundamental beliefs of your image. Think about your interest group, brand personality, and industry patterns. These elements establish the groundwork for a logo that endures over the extreme long haul and establishes a long term connection.

Exploration and Motivation

To make a logo that sticks out, you should know about your rivals and industry patterns. Investigate fruitful logos, assemble motivation, and recognize plan components that reverberate with your image. By remaining informed about current plan patterns, you can guarantee your logo stays pertinent and engaging.

Characterizing Your Image

Your logo is a visual portrayal of your image, so it's fundamental to characterize your image values and character. Pick a variety range that mirrors the feelings you need to summon and choose text styles that line up with your image character. These decisions add to making a firm and significant logo.

Drawing and Conceptualizing

Prior to plunging into advanced plan, begin with the nuts and bolts - drawing. Conceptualize and refine your thoughts on paper, taking into account imaginative investigation. This stage is pivotal for ideation and helps in envisioning various ideas prior to continuing on toward the advanced domain.

Picking the Right Instruments

Choosing the right instruments for logo configuration is essential. From industry-standard programming to fledgling agreeable applications, there are different choices accessible. Think about the upsides and downsides of each, and pick an instrument that lines up with your expertise level and plan inclinations.

Making a Computerized Model

Move your refined portrayals to computerized stages, zeroing in on the utilization of vector illustrations for versatility. Integrate criticism and make iterative amendments, guaranteeing that your logo looks engaging and is flexible across various mediums.

Testing and Criticism

Assemble input from your interest group and partners. Utilize this important contribution to make fundamental changes and refinements. Testing your logo in different settings guarantees that it successfully imparts your image message.

Finishing the Plan

In the last stages, make last-minute refinements and affirm the logo's flexibility and versatility. Make various renditions custom-made for different applications, from web-based entertainment profiles to print security.

Getting Protected innovation

Safeguard your speculation by getting the licensed innovation privileges for your logo. Investigate the significance of reserving and the means associated with defending your logo from unapproved use. Counsel lawful experts if necessary to guarantee exhaustive assurance.

End

All in all, making a vital logo is an excursion that includes figuring out your image, exploring the market, and embracing the innovative flow. A very much planned logo says a lot about your image as well as contributes essentially to its prosperity. As you leave on this innovative undertaking, recall that an insightful and key methodology will yield a logo that resounds with your crowd and endures for the long haul.

[drinkprime]

DrinkPrime Advanced Water Purification Process

Water is one of the critical elements that sustain human life. However, this precious commodity is not evenly distributed across the planet, which leads to an imbalance in the way that it is available to people across the world. This, in addition to the rise in environmental pollution, leads to the depletion of water resources. Thus, it becomes more difficult for you to get access to safe drinking water as each year passes. 

This is where advanced water purification can make a difference. Here, we delve into the importance and different processes involved in advanced water purification, particularly those employed by DrinkPrime. 

GET 7-DAYS RISK-FREE TRIAL

What is the importance of advanced water purification?

Water is one of the key natural resources essential for human survival on the planet. But water disparity is a major problem the world over, manifesting as droughts and lack of rainfall. Access to safe water is a privilege not given to everyone, which leads to a host of deadly diseases.

Advanced water purification is the process of water purification, using state-of-the-art treatments available, which produces the best quality drinking water. Although a plethora of technologies are used, most systems around the world use a combination of technology which involves three processes, Reverse osmosis, microfiltration UV light, or advanced oxidation.

It is one of the key focus areas of Environmental engineering, which is a discipline that aims to provide engineering-based solutions to the environmental issues faced by humankind. They aim to enhance the quality of life by attempting to renew and restore the balance of the ecosystem. Environmental engineering can help streamline this disparity in water distribution and offer valuable insights on how best to utilize this precious resource.

Environmental engineers play a key role in regulating the best water purification systems, which produce safe drinking water. They also establish processes for handling wastewater, analyze current processes, discover flaws, and rectify them.

What are the processes used in advanced water purification?

Reverse osmosis 

In this method, contaminants are removed from dirty water when pressure forces it through a semipermeable membrane. Applied pressure overcomes the osmotic pressure to push the water from the heavily concentrated side with more contaminants to the less concentrated side. The semipermeable membrane prevents the contaminants from passing through, leaving you with pure water.

It is used to take groundwater and make it safe for your consumption. Without this method, you would not be able to drink ground water safely. Reverse osmosis is also used to desalinate the ocean water where the salt from the seawater is removed, leaving behind fresh water. It is also useful in recycling water and wastewater treatment.

Membrane filtration

In this method particles are separated from water, to create other beverages like beer, juices, etc. This method is often employed to improve food quality.

There are different types of membrane filtration like nanofiltration, ultra-filtration, reverse osmosis, and microfiltration. Different filtration methods are used to tackle different-sized particles. For example, Saltwater has one of the smallest particles, so reverse osmosis is employed whereas the particles in river water are usually bigger, hence microfiltration is preferred.

It helps purify and concentrate a lot of food products, from juices and beer to dairy products. So, this process is employed in different stages in the food and beverage development, to help produce safe products for your consumption. 

Water oxidation

In water oxidation, water is stripped down to its original elements, namely hydrogen and oxygen.

The elements thus separated can be used for a variety of purposes. For example, oxygen thus formed is used wherever there is a need for oxygen. Like filling up oxygen cylinders for hospitals. 

Hydrogen is being considered as an alternate fuel source in an age where air pollution and climate change are stark realities that we must deal with. 

GET 7-DAYS RISK-FREE TRIAL

What are the processes employed by DrinkPrime for its advanced water purification?

We started DrinkPrime with the intention of helping you get access to safe drinking water, without depending on unhygienic and unreliable water cans. The water quality in every area differs, even within the same city, and this has a huge bearing on the quality of water after purification. DrinkPrime water purification is a personalized water purification system, based on the quality of input water in your area. 

DrinkPrime water purifier employs a variety of advanced filtration systems which work in tandem, to provide you with safe drinking water.

Sediment filter

An advanced sediment filter is employed, which is different from the normally found cheap, melt-blown cartridges. It boasts of a food-grade polypropylene yarn wound multi-layer sediment, which also has a high dust-holding capacity. These custom-made filters are designed to remove even the smallest suspended matter thus producing clean output water.

Pre-carbon filter

These filters use the adsorption method to eliminate bad odor, taste, and organic impurities like pesticides, chlorine, potentially cancer-causing products, etc. from water. They are composed of food-grade natural coconut shell-activated carbon, which has a high iodine value. The bacteriostatic activated carbon used is custom-made and undergoes a plethora of rigorous quality tests.

RO membrane

This membrane helps to remove pathogens, salt, lead, etc. from water. DrinkPrime uses a high-quality polyamide membrane that is chlorine-resistant. This also reduces the chemical and microbiological contaminants to acceptable limits. 

Post carbon silver activated filter

These cartridges are made of bacteriostatic silver, filled with activated carbon. This helps to improve the taste of water along with preventing the growth of microorganisms in the filter. It helps to provide a more natural-tasting output water. 

DrinkPrime uses different combinations of these state-of-the-art filters depending on the quality of your input water.

Conclusion

Getting access to safe drinking water for you and your family is a factor that should not be taken lightly. Waterborne infections can lead to a host of dangerous ailments which can be fatal. It is imperative that you do your research and identify a water purification solution that is practical for you. And if you’re looking for a cost-effective solution, DrinkPrime offers a variety of plans, based on your water consumption needs, while saving you from heavy investments. We also offer customisation- making sure each DrinkPrime is custom-built with filters according to your area’s water quality.

So why wait? Get DrinkPrime for your home – https://bit.ly/Drinkprimehomepage

Source: DrinkPrime Advanced Water Purification Process