#docudrama voice

[greater-than-the-sword]

The charge: Failure to commit to the bit

The sentence: death

[circular-time]

Waris Hussein unveils producer Verity Lambert's blue plaque.

While Anthony Coburn's son throws a hissy fit about a young Black man cast as Doctor Who, I'd like to celebrate director Waris Hussein, a young Black man (as British South Asians were then known) whose thankless task it was to turn Coburn's mediocre caveman script into a vehicle that would hold viewers' attention from the pilot, Unearthly Child, until The Daleks.

Above: Waris Hussein. Below: Sacha Dhawan and Jessica Raine as Waris Hussein and Verity Lambert in An Adventure in Space and Time.

Ten years ago, we got a historical docudrama paying homage to Doctor Who's difficult beginnings, when it was punted to a young minority producer and director expected to fail.

Last spring, the Radio Times published what I assume was one of its primary sources:

The 1963 Doctor Who diaries of Waris Hussein - part 2 - part 3

They're a fascinating read.

But while he's tactfully grateful to Doctor Who for helping launch his career, Waris Hussein has had a long, successful career since then, earning an Emmy, a BAFTA, and a slew of nominations, including one for the 1974 historical miniseries Shoulder to Shoulder (Youtube) on British suffragettes.

Here's a link to a good print interview with him. I also recommend listening to the beginning of this podcast interview, as his voice conveys the thoughtfulness he puts into everything:

(SNS Online is a podcast on all the usual platforms, if you want to look up pt 2.)

*Trivia note: Ian McKellan credits Waris Hussein with his first film role. The young director cut his teeth directing Cambridge peers McKellan, Derek Jacobi and Trevor Nunn (the token straight).

[gael-garcia]

SAG-AFTRA deal on AI is looking terrible, actually 😬

#SAG Actors, I want to make you aware of some of the language in the #AI portion of the tentative SAG agreement.

Though SAG leadership made much effort to protect members in AI, there are many issues you should look at. I have saved the most serious issue for the end. 1/

If a “digital double” is made of you during a film, they must get your consent and inform you of their intentions for its use, EXCEPT "when the photography or sound track remains substantially as scripted, performed and/or recorded.”2/

This is going to be left up to the studios/streamers’ interpretation. And so, any subtlety regarding how you chose to look or move for the character during the shoot could potentially be changed. Your hair, your clothes, your make-up, etc. 3/

Also, your physical placement in a scene can be changed, like your nearness or distance from another character, or even moving you from the front seat of a car "to the back seat of the car." This suggests not much agency on your part to control your character or performance. 4/

Under “(Digital Double) Use Other Than in the Motion Picture for Which the Performer Was Employed,” it says that "No additional compensation shall be required for use of an Employment-Based Digital Replica that was created in connection with employment of a performer who was… 5/

… employed under Schedule F.” It appears that if you were paid Schedule F for the first film, you don’t get paid for the sequels, where they’re just using your digital double instead of you. I suggest members get sharp clarity on this. 6/

If a “digital double” was made of you in a separate manner (on another film or privately made by you), it's referred to as an “independently created digital replica” (ICDR). There is no minimum compensation listed for studios/streamers to use an ICDR of you in… 7/

… any film they want; only consent. You will apparently need to negotiate any compensation on your own. 8/

Neither consent nor compensation is necessary to use your “digital double” if the project is "comment, criticism, scholarship, satire or parody, a docudrama, or historical or biographical work.” So, you could find yourself in a project you never consented to… 9/

…doing things you never were informed of, for no compensation at all. This is the “First Amendment” argument the #GAI tech companies are fond of trotting out. 10/

Another consent exemption is granted to "adjusting lip and/or other facial or body movement and/or the voice of the performer to a foreign language, or for purposes of changes to dialogue or photography necessary for license or sale to a particular market. 11/

The substitution of swear words is not new, but that your “body movements” would be changed suggests you’ll be used like a type of rag doll in post-production. 12/

There are still a few concerns with the Background Performers’ details, but there’s one that stands out as especially sad. "If the Producer uses a background actor’s Background Actor Digital Replica in the role of a principal performer, the background actor shall be paid… 13/

…the minimum rate for a performer… had (they) performed those scene(s) in person.” So, if an extra is “bumped up” to a principal cast member, they never get to experience that position on a set. But you get a check after the fact. 14/

And the most serious issue of them all is the inclusion in the agreement of “Synthetic Performers,” or “AI Objects,” resembling humans. This gives the studios/streamers a green-light to use human-looking AI Objects instead of hiring a human actor. 15/

It’s one thing to use GAI to make a King Kong or a flying serpent (though this displaces many VFX/CGI artists), it is another thing to have an AI Object play a human character instead of a real actor. To me, this inclusion is an anathema to a union contract at all. 16/

This is akin to SAG giving a thumbs-up for studios/streamers using non-union actors. This would be like the @Teamsters putting in their contract that it’s A-OK for the employer to utilize self-driving trucks instead of them. 17/

@Teamsters I find it baffling that a union representing human actors would give approval of those same actors being replaced by an AI Object. And don’t forget, those AI Objects are a mash-up of all actors' past performances, adding insult to injury. 18/

@Teamsters Bottomline, we are in for a very unpleasant era for actors and crew. The use of “digital doubles” alone will reduce the number of available jobs, because bigger name actors will have the opportunity to double or triple-book themselves on multiple projects at once. 19/

@Teamsters The use of these “digital doubles” will most likely preclude the need of a set or the use of many @IATSE crew and @Teamster drivers. 20/

@Teamsters @IATSE @Teamster Audition odds will change. Winning an audition could become very difficult, because you will not just be competing with the available actors who are your type, but you will now compete with every actor, dead or alive, who has made their “digital double” available for rent … 21/

@Teamsters @IATSE @Teamster … in a range of ages to suit the character. You also will be in competition with an infinite number of AI Objects that the studios/streamers can freely use. And a whole cast of AI Objects instead of human actors eliminates the need for a set or any crew at all. 22/

@Teamsters @IATSE @Teamster You are a complex & remarkable human. Don’t let the CEOs convince you otherwise. Seek out filmmakers & showrunners who value your basic worth & committed to human workers on their projects. These are the ones who will make work that matters. We’re going to be OK. Just hold on. /

[atbussysparks]

SCOUT HEADCANONS FROM THA 💯% COOLEST SCOUT KINNIE #2⁉️⁉️⁉️

He throws his voice. He once made pyro think the coffee maker could talk

He's circus level flexible and it's DISGUSTING. He once remarked that his organs probably looked weird in his body when he did this and sniper lifted his glasses in disgust

He once said "dis nematode in the midst of buffoonery 💀" out loud unwarranted

Can recite the entire script of king of the hill season 3 episode 7 "nine pretty darn angry men"

Had a pet roach named gooch bc he couldn't kill it. He lived for seven months and got to the size of a dollar bill.

Not a HC but scout is literally that one pic of brawny men fighting and chilling with this smaller phat tits green haired chick tearing up an ostrich leg, but if the woman was super buff.

Sometimes he becomes untethered and goes into fits of unbridled violence directed towards whatever moves for no reason at all. To fix this demo flips scout in a specific way and he gets rotated IDIOT

Ate an 1/3rd of a vintage Nancy drew book

If someone points at him he collapses like a ragdoll. The others found out about this after pointing at him while he was swimming and he nearly drowned

Got stuck in the walls and roamed the walls for three days whispering about being a rat, preying and stalking in the night

Counting to three never works on him unless it's spy

Scout is hazmat certified due to a situation with 16 wisdom teeth from 8 dumbasses, a propane truck, and a case of root beer.

Demo holds scout like a large dog when he gets his shots. He nearly ripped medic's ear off with his teeth and medic is never taking chances again.

Some nights he can be heard playing pistolero western music for hours. He yearns for the horses and pneumonia.

His favorite movies are those coming-of-age underdog sports docudramas. And blacula for some reason.

17 of his teeth are chipped so they look sharp

He stole the hope diamond to wear for his bar mitzvah before someone noticed the one in the museum was fake. the government stole it back two days later

He can beatbox very well but uses it to mainly beatbox castle crasher soundtrack during battle

He owns a big mouth billy bass modded to run doom and sing Delilah

Time for a sad one! Scout was violently sick with malaria once. The one time he was conscious he told heavy that he was so sick with the flu when he was 4 he nearly died, and lost all of his baby fat. "Kinda poetic yo, I dunno how. but it makes me sad when I think about it."

His worst fear is dying from starvation. The problem is, he gets hyper focused and forgets to eat, even if he loves eating. The others (mainly pyro) take turns to make sure he eats at least one meal every day

Scout has emetophobia, and sites this as the reason why he hates "that one shade of yellow." No one knows wtf the shade is.

He is banned from ever talking about, mentioning, or referencing Barbara Streisand in any manner in public

He cries when looking at the ocean because he's thinking of the rainbow fish

He made a 13-in-one hair wash and before ANYONE could use it miss pauling disposed of it where she dumps the dead bodies. Soldier, pyro, sniper, and medic held a funeral service for it with scout as the priest

His left eye is permanently triple lidded

[scotianostra]

Happy birthday the beautiful Natalie Joy Robb born December 3rd 1974 in Bellshill.

Robb is the youngest of three children. As a child, Robb attended weekend drama groups in Glasgow, where she was discovered by director Alan Macmillan, later going to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. She made her screen debut as a nine-year-old starring in an STV docudrama with veteran Scots star Tom Conti. At 13, she was awarded the BBC Young Entertainer of the Year award on kids' TV show, Going Live! At the age of 14, she got the role of Trish McDonald in Scottish Soap, Take the High Road, which launched her TV career, she was in the soap for 9 years.

f course a talented Scottish actress like Natalie is obviously going to appear in Taggart!! She went on from High Road to the popular Sky drama, Dream team and has featured in many other shows through the noughties, Londons Burning, The Bill, Holby City and Doctors to name a few.

Nowadays it is as Moira Barton n Emmerdale we see Natalie, she has been a regular in the soap since for over 10 years, she previously won sexiest female at the Inside Soap Awards, an award usually taken by actresses many years her junior!

Natalie has a great singing voice and was originally looking for a career in music and was once in a band called The Kinky People she also sang "I Will Be There" by a group called Absolutely which I will post below. In 1997, she released a single with dance group Partizan called "Keep Your Love" She has a fine voice.

I

[natequarter]

someday they should make a history docudrama which opens with "the year is [year]. [famous historical figure] is three years old. this documentary isn't about them though, it's about [nicher historical figure]" in a dramatic voice throughout

[rulesforthedance]

Ok N is out of town for a week and I've gotten out of practice at being alone and, in an unfortunate coincidence, all the friends I'd normally hang out with to stave off the loneliness and sadness (because my lizard is dead also) are also out of town (in different towns), so I'm gonna superficially liveblog Baz Luhrmann's (sp.? I'm not checking it) Romeo + Juliet (which I last watched when I was ~14) into this one draft and then post it when I pause for the night (because I can't watch movies in one sitting). Aaaaaaand GO

WOW okay WHAT a choice to do the prologue twice first in newscaster voice and then in docudrama voice. Incredible from jump tbh

JOHN LEGUIZAMO. The boots. The vest. The twirls. I'm at the combination gunslinger and bullfighter.

Gun labeled "longsword"

There she is. The smarmy baby butch fuckboi herself. Leo DiCaprio (age 11) (why does he sound like Wesley Crusher)

Did they use the same house for the Capulets' house in this and the house in Clueless? (could google, won't)

Miriam Margolyes?! doing a cringe fake accent unfortunately

Mercutio's bedazzled chest harness playing with the semantic ambiguity of The Strap (gun) vs The Strap (dildo)

I... have more of this play memorized than I realized. Good that I am watching this alone, probably, and not driving anyone crazy by finishing all the lines

Leo's is the least interesting performance in this movie but Romeo is the least interesting character, so. But honestly the chemistry between the kids is believable. Baby Juliet's lesbian awakening. Instantly fascinated with someone she just saw through a fish tank who wears boy clothes but doesn't grow facial hair. Truly who among us has not been there. Especially when we were like 15 or whatever rough of average of Play Juliet (younger than modern audiences are ok with) and Clare Danes (an adult, I think) she's supposed to be

Okay other tumbloggers have already said everything I could say (and better) about Harold Perrineau in the duel scene. But. The ability to make Shakespearean English into a sex joke that lands for people who don't read Shakespeare (at least... I bet it does) with just intonation?? The way he loses his SHIT over "consort'st"??? The LOOK between him and Romeo right before he gets his injury???? I get why his kid was him for Halloween lol. I mean I'd feel weird about it if it was my dad, but it IS king shit

MERCUTIO IS DEAD, CUE EXCELLENT EERIE OBVIOUSLY-GREENSCREEN STORM, GOOD NIGHT I will resume tomorrow maybe

[meret118]

When the Great Depression struck America in the 1920s finding work was hard, but if you were poor and Black it was virtually impossible. Working as a porter for the Pullman Rail Company was an option, but it meant taking home a third as much as white employees and working some days for free. You could forget about being called by your real name — all Black porters were simply called “George” after George Pullman.

Asa Philip Randolph, a Black journalist and socialist trying to establish a voice for these forgotten workers, agrees to fight for the Pullman porters’ cause and form the first black union in America. Livelihoods and lives would be put at risk in the attempt to gain 10,000 signatures of the men known only as “George.” This is the true story of how a courageous leader came to be known as “the most dangerous man in America.” 

[angevinyaoiz]

Watched this Henry II docudrama while working on stuff yesterday and as u all know I love seeing what ppl do with the reenactor drama while Dan Jones walks around like a badboy at Chinon.

The thing is I've been so spoiled by the ugly haircuts and colorful stage camp toot toot music of The Devil's Crown that going to this SUPER grey and gritty modern realism filter is a whiplash haadjdjdidid. Also I realized they recycled a lot of this footage into the Secrets de Histoire video about Eleanor lmaoooo

The narrator talks in very serious voice about how THIS FAMILY DRAMA IS MORE BLOODIER AND DRAMATIC than FICTION which true I suppose but also to me it's Funny. It's Bathos.

We have Eleanor being the Evil Woman in the Yaoi shot here between Henry and Becket

Becket looks EVIL in all his shots and they play like the most foreboding haunting music it's like God damn u guys don't have ANY lighting whatsoever. Bc he comes across so sinister when they get to the part about Young Henry's dadson marriage coronation and they talk Abt Becket being uninvited it sounds like he's Maleficent or something..should show up in announced just to CURSE him (tbh he kind of did that with the excommunication lmaooo)

We get to see Henry Junior ofc which I'm always like yayyyyy it's my glup shitto...this doc really leans on that "Criticizing Henry re his interpersonal faults and internal personality" kind of motivation for his actions which I'm like ehhhh ofc things are more complex politically and I can't help but feel after reading Strickland's TYK book it's more hmmm. But anyways this distracts from the important things which is:

Narrator sticks pretty much to Actual Factual things that happens and the actor scenes follow suit BUT THEN! THERE IS SUDDENLY A FANFICTION (preceded by narrator going "one could only imagine what the heated conversations were like")

The dark ass lighting is annoying as hell but basically Young Henry bursts into Henry's room to be mad about Chinon (Mirabeau and Loudon) being given to John and they argue for a bit and then Henry gets mad and starts choking him???

But then he stops and then they're both like crying and hugging with this foreboding music. Anyways thanks timeline for the completely made up dadson bait for Me Personally

Blabla blah rebellion etc it's very truncated ad most of it is about bullying Henry LMAO

But ofc we get Eleanor helping da Boyz rebel and being mad Abt Toulouse and then there's the obligatory intimate shots w Richard (this also was recycled in Secrets de Histoire)

Also this series ofc follows the grand tradition of letting you know who John is by giving him a smirk and fancy lil fashion accessory in this case his cunty hat

Anyways pretty fun intro and overall generally factual. I nitpick bc I've just come off my reading ofc but djskjf the psychological narrative of "Henry grew up fighting for his throne in disordered times (the Anarchy) so that led him to want to reassert order and control in the lands and also not relinquish control in his family" feels oversimplified modern psychoanalysis storytelling rather than based in the reality, surprised there wasn't really any brief mention of the whole thing Abt the king of the English still being subject to Louis for the French lands thing bc that feels very central??? To the conflicts?? To me??? but it's a fun intro. At least there were no Party City Wigs like in Secrets de Histoire

[umbylievable]

You guys do know that True Crime exists that is victim-focused and prioritizes their voices and experiences right?

You're not all listening to serial killer podcasts and watching unauthorized docudramas right?

[visicnaire]

*IF YOU GAZE INTO THE STARS / THE STARS GAZE BACK INTO YOU.

—— the paper-thin tightrope between dreaming and planning, forever an exercise in waking life; the ethereal glow of a glittering marquee; exploration by way of submergence — you refuse to live just in-between; the silver platter as equal parts servant and shield; hands unfamiliar with the unclean, reaching out for something to grasp nevertheless; ancient dreams in a modern land; the curiosity that led alice down the rabbit hole and kept persephone in the underworld; the fear of finding comfort amongst the fearsome; the shedding of skins in order to become.

*NAME: sage adelaide sheridan *AGE: twenty-eight *GENDER: trans woman *PRONOUNS: she / her *CIVILIAN OCCUPATION: filmmaker, actress, activist *CRIMINAL ASSOCATION: tbd

basics, history, wanted plots, and more under the cut !!

*BASICS.

*NAME: sage adelaide sheridan *AGE: twenty-eight *GENDER: trans woman *PRONOUNS: she / her *SEXUALITY: tbd (bisexual?) *CIVILIAN OCCUPATION: filmmaker, actress, activist *CRIMINAL ASSOCIATION: tbd (slowly but surely getting her hands dirty heh) *NOTABLE ATTRIBUTES: long silvery-blonde hair, height of 5’11” *CHARACTER ALLUSIONS / INSPIRATIONS: celine (the before trilogy), teddy laurence (little women), alice (alice in wonderland), lois lane (dc), sophie sheridan (mamma mia), mia dolan (la la land), greta gerwig *POSITIVE TRAITS: intuitive, protective, curious, egalitarian *NEUTRAL TRAITS: independent, idealistic, tenacious, analytical *NEGATIVE TRAITS: obstinate, workaholic, impulsive, rebellious

*SUMMARY.

[ trigger warnings: parental death, violence ]

A teen starlet turned cinematic upstart, Sage has lived most of her life in the public eye. While her parents were distinguished diplomats and politicians in their own right, Sage’s sense of politics found its voice through art, film, fashion, and the expression of gender and self. Her early days of ‘celebrity’ can be traced to a docudrama series following the lives of several teens during their last two years of sixth form (think Skins). Though the series was spearheaded by experienced producers, writers, and directors, it was notable for incorporating the writing and directing efforts of its subjects. It was during the final season of the show that she began her transition, making her one of the youngest trans figures on the small screen at the time. The series ended with a finale special entitled “Introducing Sage,” and depicted her first foray after her transition into the blinding lights of the public eye.

With the series finale essentially serving as her application to any filmmaking school of her choice, Sage attended the National Film and Television School. Her graduate film project, Dream Sequence, an experimental short film in which a theater director encourages a young actress to blur the lines between her character and her actual identity, was equal parts exploration of her adolescent experiences, a critique of the industry, and a critical success. At the insistence of her professor, she submitted it to a number of independent film festivals and awards circuits, and capped off her formal debut into the cinematic world with a Student Oscar and a BAFTA Student Award.

Although her parents were undoubtedly supportive of her career as a filmmaker, they requested one subject to never be viewed by her lens, for fear that the family's personal life might irrevocably intersect with their individual personal lives. For a time, Sage was perfectly comfortable keeping them separate, having never quite found her foothold in politics in the same way her family had. The agreement stood as her mother prepped for her first political campaign, Sage standing proudly by her side as her own career efforts focused elsewhere.

At the campaign launch event, her mother's opening speech was met not by confetti and applause, but by screams through sudden clouds of smoke, and shots firing through the crowd. Her father, wise enough to see the writing on the wall from the very first strike of the marksmen's pen, shielded his girls to the point of fatality. His injuries took too heavy a toll on his body, and over three short months, his health faded into irremediable territory.

Sage threw herself into her work after his death, forgoing the agreement she'd made with her parents and becoming utterly consumed by the driving forces behind the attack. The little that she was able to uncover suggested gang involvement, their actions allowed by a corrupt Chief of Police paid to allow it. She became restless, entirely fixed on the culprits and the events that led up to her father's death, only to end up exactly where she began, with more questions than answers. Today, she's no less set on uncovering the truth, but knows truth is something not always acquired by sanctified means.

*SPARKNOTES:

Sage lives in a two-story converted warehouse in Bermondsey with her two cats, Gaspard and Delilah. Both levels are entirely open-floor spaces, which comes in handy when she’s working on a new film: the entirety of the lower floor becomes submerged in the projects aesthetics to further her creative process, while the upper, containing her studio and bedroom, remains relatively untouched. Naturally, the lower floor lends itself perfectly to wrap parties for one last hurrah in the world of the film.

Though she’s had several independent darlings and has started her foray into mainstream work, the film she’s proudest of is the one least known by the public: Dream Sequence. It was in this film that she not only tested her limitations at the time and pushed the boundaries of conventional student theses, but also first experienced the therapeutic aspect of working behind the camera that she’s since come to love. With each film, she attempts to recapture this feeling — and does to a certain extent, if only colored by different lenses — but it’s never quite the same.

Notable works (irl film insps noted, bc my brain doesn't work well enough to make imaginary films lmao): the semi-autobiographic short Dream Sequence (based on Madeline’s Madeline); the folk-horror feature The May Queen (based on Midsommar); the semi-autobiographic drama Pieta, a passion / therapy project to help her process her father's death.

I left it intentionally unclear in the bio bc I haven't fully fleshed out the idea, but I do picture her mother having had some kind of criminal connection that partially fueled the attack at the campaign launch. (more on this as a wc below!)

*WANTED.

*THE BODYGUARD » With the increased spotlight on her after her first mainstream film, she’s received an increased amount of bigoted threats. The threats in and of themselves aren’t new, given her public presence since the age of 16, but since the incident at her mother’s campaign launch, Sage has given into her parents’ request and hired a security officer who’s with her just about 24/7. This connect is very much as it says on the tin, but I’d definitely love to play around with her security being affiliated with one of the gangs to add in a little bit of spice!

*DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE » There’s something a bit Alice-like about Sage’s curiosity; it knows few bounds, and so has often led her to the more interesting sides of the city. This curiosity is what has drawn her to her most recent endeavor of exposing a corrupt Police Chief, something she’s approached with much fervor — too much to some, but, to others, something to be taken advantage of eagerly. To put it simply, this connect is for someone who sees her commitment to exploring the darker sides of the city as an utter opportunity.

*THE JO TO HER TEDDY » It’d be easy to type Sage as more of a ‘Jo March’ than a ‘Teddy Lawrence,’ but in addition to those characters’ shared daring, creativity, and principled natures, Sage shares more of the artistic and dreamerlike sensibilities of the latter Alcott character. It’s this aspect of Sage’s nature that I believe lends really well to a connect similar to Jo and Teddy’s; specifically, this connect is for a character who’s been in her life for years now, who’s seen her through all different sorts of things, and is someone to whom she’s felt romantically drawn. Whether this romance is a fresh and new development, or one that’s older and unrequited is entirely to be plotted! I definitely want to play the direction of this based on chemistry, so nothing is set in stone.

*BIRDS OF A FEATHER » Think Baumbach and Gerwig, Burton and Elfman, Scorsese and Di Caprio — famous writer/directors and their frequent creative collaborators. This is for a connect that’s as much of a muse to Sage as they are a fellow maker: someone who certainly inspires her, but is also a confidante and collaborator.

*PRIVATE EYES » As resourceful and connected as she might be, Sage definitely relies on one or two people for the kind of research necessary to make investigative documentaries and realistic dramas. This connect doesn't necessarily have to be strictly a private detective; in fact, I envision more so to be anyone from any background who offers their specialities / knowledge in exchange for something they want of Sage — all tbd and plotted out!

*ALL ABOUT EVE » This connect exists somewhere in between stalker, fan, and envier in relation to Sage. I can see this connect stemming from several different jumping off points, so it would really just depend on what your own character’s backstory was. To name a few ideas: perhaps they’re a former classmate, an avid fan, or someone who’d hoped to take her on as their mentor, but she kept blowing them off not realizing how much it upset them. I don’t see Sage as someone who goes out of her way to hurt people, but I can definitely see her being oblivious to others’ reactions at times.

*MOMMIE'S DEAREST » I left if intentionally unclear, but I do picture her mother to have some kind of criminal connection to one (possibly even both?) of the gangs. While her mother is most definitely a wanted connection, I also would love to explore criminals connected to this wc who know more about Sage than she knows about them — sort of like the distant relatives who come out of the blue when something's gone wrong, etc. I imagine this connect to skew a bit older, but we can totally work out anything!

*UNDEFINED PLOTS.

fellow art heaux

enfants terribles (akin to the above, but maybe with a more activist / political lean)

fwbs and the like (strange bedfellows, opposites attracting, etc.)

former classmates / professors (might have a specific plot forming for a former professor)

criminal influences

family connects (i picture the sheridans as a big family, so i'm down for whatever!)

politicos (associated with her parents or otherwise)

therapy / support group / mentor, etc.

family members

anything and everything!

[boombox-fuckboy]

Hiyaaa

I'm thinking of listening to radio outcast and night shift..... Have u listened to them?? If u have could u tell me about the basic vibe of the story, the characters, etc

Thank you<3333

Both underrated and very well made productions. They feature very good soundwork, both in quality and design, a solid cast of VAs, and excellent cover art. The writing isn't life-changing but is good, just more in the entertaining sense. Both also have official art of all major characters if that's something you're interested in.

RADIO: Outcast has a sillier vibe (expected with comedy as a second genre) but intentionally so. The characters are wacky and memorable, though with a major cast of about four, you're unlikely to get mixed up anyway.

The main characters are Charles, a sharply dressed, self-impressed master conman who seems to be able to get himself into, and occasionally out of, any sort of trouble imaginable. Helix, former messenger goddess of sound who's spent the last few decades partying, but after being cast out by her abusive ex-girlfriend is now stuck in the 1880s instead of the 1980s. And Jesse, a young cowboy with a perfect shot, strong sense of duty and general dislike of social situations, seeking to avenge his father (and is unfortunately now stuck with these two).

They're also crowdfunding for season 2 for another week

Night Shift fills a very specific personal need: fictional investigation/indie docudrama podcast (big fan), but, in an urban fantasy setting. This flavour of urban fantasy is humans only, just with magic. In the setting, major magics have been gone some time, but elements of it are everywhere including:

Small inherited magic such as perfectly recalling a memory from a photo you took or luminescent threads in your hair

Magi-biotech which is grueling to induce, tightly controlled, and mimics superpowers

The ability for remaining ambient magic to warp people to various degrees, body and mind, into Shades, who are poorly understood and potentially powerful, but rarely ever the threat most people think they are

Rare, small phemomena also caused by ambient magic which may include holes in reality

More of a serious tone, but it doesn't take itself uncomfortably seriously either.

There's a lot of characters, but Sebastian, the lead, is a good presenter and will introduce them all, sometimes more than once. A decent number of characters have very distinct voices, and there's always transcripts. They're a decent crowd, some stand out more than others. Sebastian himself is a good balance of sharp and clever and an absolute dumbass. He has a strong sense of justice but open willingness to change his opinions on new information, which I think is a good combination for a reporter, but his drive and impulse might not be such a good fit as a barista.

Majority queer characters as is common for pods, though being early days a lot is still word of god (processing how surreal that would've been a decade ago. "Majority queer characters as is standard.").

Profiles under the cut.

RADIO: Outcast

Synopsis, via the official website [accessed 2022-06-17]:

"When Helix, the Messenger God of Sound, gets yanked from the 1980s and sent to the 1880s by her abusive ex-lover, the God of Time, she must forge unlikely alliances with two humans: Jesse, a cowboy out for revenge, and Charles,  a conman running from his past. The three of them embark on a journey across the American West, each with their own goals and secrets waiting to be revealed.

Throughout the season, the characters' travels take them to dangerous wastelands, the lawless town of Deadwood, roller rinks in the middle of nowhere, a magical showboat on the Missouri River, and many more unexpected places. Magic and the American West collide in this kooky western about three strangers struggling to work together"

Genres: Western, fantasy, comedy, with sci-fi elements.

Available on: All major podcasting apps, Spotify.

Transcripts: Available on the website in pdf format [link]

Content Warnings: Spoken at the start of each episode (included in the transcript)

On Tumblr [here]

Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama

Synopsis, via the podcast feed [accessed 2022-06-17]:

"Sebastian Fen finds himself entangled in a series of unexplainable events in Echor City, from the conspiracies surrounding the biotechnology giant Augur Corp to the secrets of the magical anomalies that transform those who encounter them into the stuff of nightmares...

Night Shift is a queer-led, serialized docudrama. Elements of magic, science fiction, mystery, and mild horror throughout."

Genres: Urban fantasy, investigation, "true" crime.

Available on: All major podcasting apps, Spotify.

Transcripts: Linked in the description of each episode as a google-drive hosted pdf.

Content Warnings: Written out in the description of each episode

On Tumblr [here]

[renee00124]

*HIGH-TECH BEAMED TERRORISM* Typically the goal with relentless 24/7 tracking, monitoring and high-tech harassment is to push the target over the edge for entrapment with suicide considered a successful mission. The image reveals an official demonstration of DHS Malintent technology which also is an example of brainwave mind reading software to an advanced computer system. MALINTENT https://www.computerworld.com/article/2469953/homeland-security-testing-mind-reading-terrorist--pre-crime--detectors.html ASSOCIATED VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRGF7YL_LNM Below is just a short list of the specific technology being used specifically for Targeting untold numbers of civilians marked for human experimentation. 1. Voice to Skull aka DOD "Voice of God" technology harassing victims around the clock beamed from state-of-the-art operation centers or compliant neighboring locations where the victim is called vicious names 24/7 backed by electrical shocks from Directed Energy Weapons and covert microwave torture. LINK:   https://youarenotmybigbrother.blog/2017/01/17/mind-control-schizophrenic-high-tech-fraud-docudrama-is-now-available-at-amazon-com/ 2. Your cloned emotions beamed back you - If you are sad or depressed one day, the technology imprints your brainwave, then it is beamed back to you while you are being tortured and degraded. CLONING THE EMOTIONS PATENTS: https://patents.google.com/patent/US5356368A/en https://patents.google.com/patent/US3951134A/en EEG/HETERODYNING https://gangstalkingmindcontrolcults.com/dr-robert-duncan-the-science-of-mind-manipulation-eeg-electro-encepholagraphic-heterodyning-remote-mind-control-2014-ppt/ 3. Memory and Idea Kill - You think of a way to better your life and it is erased from your memory. The low level enforcers of this program do not want victims successful in any way or advancing. FAKE MEMORIES: http://www.activistpost.com/2015/04/mind-control-researchers-create-fake.html 4. Hologram - You wake up and a little green man, glowing in the dark, hisses at you then poof it disappears into thin air. A beam of Jesus second coming is beamed in the sky for fear and submission. PROJECT BLUE BEAM:   http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/esp_sociopol_bluebeam01.htm 5. Viewing what you see using your eyes - Your eyes become their lens for everything that you see. This is so they can attempt to influence your thoughts before you even think about what you are seeing. See: Looking Through the Eyes of a Cat - Berkley University (BBC article) and link below. https://petapixel.com/2011/07/27/turning-the-eye-into-a-camera-sensor/?fbclid=IwAR0GLZNSuAZEWQgG1OhmbmD_4mlaMKG_ois9M0gE0kterZbaiWz_sWExDTk 6. Listening to what you hear and your subvocal thoughts. This is a requirement for V2K, Voice of God, also known as Synthetic and Artificial Telepathy, Neural Decoding, Remote Neural Monitoring, and the microwave Frey Effect and Neurophone. In order to communicate with the victim they must hear what the victim is thinking inside the human brain. THOUGHT TRANSMISSION PATENT https://patents.google.com/patent/DE10253433A1/en MIND READING   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/mind-reading-technology/ 60 MINUTES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwk2pqfYQFc Read your thoughts - Key to this capability is to keep this operation one step ahead of the victim when seeking justice. They know in advance your plan for the day and sabotage it before you even can seek help by contacting the party or preparing harassment where your are going. What you are thinking around the clock is used in the ongoing search for anything useful to exploit, even a passing thought, such as any type of fear, anger, hurt, pain and also to destroy any thoughts of happiness, a love interest, etc.. 8. Forced Speech - Several news reports, used as human guinea pigs have had forced speech beamed at them while on the air to include Judge Judy. VIDEO:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rWmpgWHG_0 9. People are beamed hatred for each others in order to keep chaos, fighting, and separation. Recruits in these mobilized covert harassment and torture program are also watched and beamed hate towards the victim they are hired to torture. Beamed hatred insures recruits don't realize that what is happening is wrong and denial of the truth of this heinous program. SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE GENERATOR https://patents.google.com/patent/US5270800A/en 10. Unwanted high-tech beamed sexual stimulation is to humiliate the victim in a very personal way. Also known as high tech rape! Below are patents for nervous system manipulation. https://patents.justia.com/inventor/hendricus-g-loos BEAMED TORTURE https://www.scribd.com/document/282844331/The-Executive-Summary-Neuropsychological-and-Electronic-No-Touch-Torture-Report-by-Robert-Duncan-a-B-S-M-M-B-a-Ph-D REFERENCE WEBSITE: http://bigbrotherwatchingus.com Knowledge is power and awareness is the key. The a TRUTH a very powerful weapon to save lives an all that's needed as many united to expose this ungodly program ran by ruthless, officiated human monsters who are clean-shave, suited and in uniform! DETAILED LIST OF OFFICIAL PATENTS https://youarenotmybigbrother.blog/2022/09/23/mind-control-brainwave-manipulation-psychophysical-psychotronic-behavioral-modification-and-manipulation-of-the-nervous-systems-patents-in-research-testing-and-development-programs-for-decades/

[lolly-dolli]

Crossover episode in which Interview is canon in that it's ALSO about true events in the form of a docudrama made from an autobiography and Lestat is just straight up Some Guy Who Exists, and because vampires usually only care about human media according to the Roger Rabbit law of comedy none of the vampires really care. There's a cutaway gag during a talking head interview where Louis explains via voice over that it ended up failing as a docudrama as a shot of the end of the credits is shown saying "some events are dramaticized" that every human somehow missed, and Queen of the Damned is referenced as a Noodle Incident that killed any hope of trying again to reveal the novels as stealth autobiographies and maybe also alluding to and implying that the Great Fanfic Purges were due to some sort of ego meltdown on Lestat's part.

Guillermo (who has canonically at least seen the first movie, and I'd like to imagine has read the books) proceeds to find this VERY amusing because, as the Vampire Chronicles Vampires have vastly different origins to those in the WWDITS universe; and obviously none of the world-changing events from the book have actually happened here (as I'm in the middle of season 3 and quite enjoying his bastardization arc), he is the only person in the room besides the two guys who are visiting due to [insert funny council shenanigans here, IDK maybe they're getting divorced or un-divorced again and there's a lot of paperwork bullshit and Lestat invites himself into their mansion as Lestat is wont to do]. And because Guillermo is seemingly the only person here who realizes that everything post-interview is just self-insert fanfic, he proceeds to subtly call him out on his bullshit for to make him squirm.

Due to legal reasons there is a running joke in which the vampires keep mistakenly calling them Tom and Brad because None Of Them Know Who These Two Are and having to be corrected (minus Collin Robinson, who picks up on this bullshit and joins in on it for fun, and reveals that he too has seen the movie and then very awkwardly imitates a line from it in order to feed off the cameraman). Guillermo purposefully enables this.

Guillermo brings up that he's heard Lestat had a prominent musical career in the 80s but he's never had a chance to actually listen to any of his work, and asks if he can reccomend any songs for him to listen to. He purposefully does this while Lazslo and Nadja are in the room so that he can't hypnosis his way out of it and Lazslo will of course want to talk with a fellow musician (the word "musician" overenunciated in true Lazslo fashion) and asking if he wants to play some of his work later.

Louis leaves the room because he's tired of this bullshit and can't watch anymore and there's a b-plot where Nadja tries to help him reign in his idiot husband and, "stop being such a pathetic wet baby owl eating rats all of the time." She interrupts him when he says he actually doesn't do that anymore. She and him and the Nadja Doll end up having group therapy over mutual Idiot Man Who I Love problems, and Nadja especially bonds with him because, "your idiot husband turned a toddler to see what would happen? My idiot husband turned a baby!" the bonding becomes increasingly one-sided, however, when Nadja mentions that the baby is at least doing well for itself as a member of the vampiric council and when asked how Claudia is Louis is just like "well. Um. She's. Not around anymore." And Nadja assumes this as pathetic wet baby owl man speak for Claudia being estranged from them.

The climax involves Lestat being put on the spot in such a way that he cannot easily weasel his way out of it and Guillermo letting out a very small laugh which Nandoor picks up on, and upon Guillermo going "oh, nothing, I just feel kind of bad for him is all."

To which Nandoor responds with, "Tom Cruise does not need your pity, Guillermo," implying he not only was getting the names wrong despite having mediated in Vampire Divorce Or Un-Divorce court, but may have thought that Tom Cruise was actually in their home.

Guillermo has to try even harder to resist laughter.

The episode ends probably with some sort of violent chaos amongst the group as Guillermo looks to the camera with a very subtle, politely evil little smile for half a second and Louis in the background looking incredibly exhausted

[scotianostra]

Happy birthday the super,  sexy, Scottish, beautiful actress Natalie Joy Robb born December 3rd 1974 in Bellshill.

Robb is the youngest of three children. As a child, Robb attended weekend drama groups in Glasgow, where she was discovered by director Alan Macmillan, later going to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. She made her screen debut as a nine-year-old starring in an STV docudrama with veteran Scots star Tom Conti. At 13, she was awarded the BBC Young Entertainer of the Year award on kids’ TV show, Going Live! At the age of 14, she got the role of Trish McDonald in Scottish Soap, Take the High Road, which launched her TV career, she was in the soap for 9 years.

Of course a talented Scottish actress like Natalie is obviously going to appear in Taggart!! She went on from High Road to the popular Sky drama, Dream team and has featured in many other shows through the noughties, London's Burning, The Bill, Holby City and Doctors to name a few.

Nowadays it is as Moira Barton n Emmerdale we see Natalie, she has been a regular in the soap since for 13 years, she has deservedly won sexiest female at the Inside Soap Awards, an award usually taken by actresses many years her junior! She has also picked up the sexiest female award in the  Inside Soap Awards.

Natalie’s trademark husky voice is tinged with a gentle Scottish accent, despite having now lived in England for longer than in her country of birth. But Scotland will always be home, and she has fond memories of growing up in the countryside near Glasgow.

'I was a little country bumpkin! I used to play football with the boys in a field full of cowpats,' she remembers. "I’d hang out with the boys because the girls were all into dressing up and putting on make-up, and I wasn’t interested at all. I was a tomboy from my roots.'

Natalie left for London at the age of 21, packing her car with all her worldly possessions, which at that time included a tarantula called Bertha.

"We didn’t have anywhere to stay when I first arrived, so I slept in my car for a little while – with the heating on, of course, to keep Bertha warm!" she laughs. "I had her for 25 years, she was completely lovely and not in the least scary."

She’s certainly no tomboy now, and on her body image says;

"I was given these curves by my mum, and I’m not ashamed of them – we both have boobies and a bum that sticks out," she says. "For years as a teen I was ashamed, but I’m all about accepting my body. A lot of blokes have said to me that they like women with curves” 

Natalie recently re-assured fans of Emmerdale, her exit from the soap is not permanent and she will return in the future.

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 2003 - Number 24 - Senait - "Herz aus Eis"

A love ballad from Germany instead of the usual craziness. Senait is an Eritrean with a hugely traumatic childhood. She fled her violent and abuse father on several occasions, who even at one point sold her and her sisters to the Eritrean Liberation Front as child soldiers. The final time she fled him, they were in Germany and she found a calling as a backing singer and song-writer while living in youth hostels.

In the four years prior to 2003, she had released several singles on Polydor and that brought her to Germany's Countdown Grand Prix and the opportunity to sing at Eurovision.

Herz aus Eis (Heart of Ice) is a sad tale of a relationship wearying with time and a heart that's feeling the chill. Senait wants things to be as they were and wants her partner to reach out to make her feel something again. It's sung with rich emotion, and perhaps some stage nerves. Senait's voice is raw, on the frayed edge of experience and wanting resolution. The audience thrust their cigarette lighter analogues in the air and sway along. It's a song felt as much as heard.

Alongside Senait herself, there are two other credited writers for Herz aus Eis, one of whom is Frank Ramond. He's a Turkish writer and singer who has already contributed to Germany's national final in 2000. He did again in 2007, writing the lyrics for the winning song by Roger Cicero Frauen Regieren Die Welt.

It did well, but not quite well enough finishing fourth and just outside the top three superfinalists. The televote amounts for the songs who weren't in the top 3 were not revealed, so it's not known how close Senait came to getting into that superfinal, but given the tightness of the voting that has been revealed, she probably wasn't that far away.

After this Senait didn't try again, but she did release two later albums and also released her autobiography although that attracted some controversy with one columnist doubting her account of being trained as a child soldier. That didn't stop a docudrama/biopic being made for the German market called Feuerherz - Heart of Fire