#real john lennon messaging me

[ringosmistress]

[fireintheimpala]

McLennon Playlists

I have been working putting together some McLennon playlists. I mean "McLennon" pretty broadly and vaguely with these lists, so choose your own adventure. It's a useful short portmanteau for for the creative partnership of Lennon/McCartney. But I do also think there is a powerful human relationship here, disregarded from the classic Beatles narrative. And I think this relationship is pivotal to much of their songwriting.

This is a work in progress but here are the acts so far:

Act I: The Beatles before India '68. This is a foundational period. For the most part, I don't think these songs are consciously referencing each other. Rather, they providing a foundation for future references. That said, I think Hide Your Love Away deserves a second look.

Act II: The Beatles after India '68. The contrast is remarkable. Not everything on this list is written by Lennon/McCartney. I think George's While My Guitar Gently Weeps is actually the best expression for the whole time. Anyway, they're breaking up. Passionately. Chronology is a total mash since most of these songs were written or produced in a small period of time.

Act III: The 70's up through approximately 1975. Here especially the chronology of songs begins to be sacrificed for highlighting some back and forth. I personally find their mirroring right after the Beatles--with the front and center band wives and antipodal messages right when they're sending each other cutting missives through hit singles--hilarious. But after that you get this escalating back and forth in moods. Still sent through international hits! Lol. Which they simply presume will work. Anyway, if you listen in order, the positivity increases. Unfortunately, a playlist shift is required once John returns to Yoko in 75ish.

Act IV: '76ish through 1980. After a period of musical productivity and reconnecting with old friends including McCartney, John returns to Yoko. Let's not weight into that but merely note that it changes all music vibes for both musicians. John goes completely silent for 5 years, except for later release home demos. (I'm using Spotify for this which doesn't have most of Lennon's demos unfortunately. But the demos for Free as a Bird and Real Love are recorded during this time so those songs are included. Now and Then demo also, but c'mon let's save that.) McCartney in the meantime writes a series of IMPASSIONED songs about things like his baby who won't call him back, and his lover who needs to beware. Idk what is going on with Wings in production, but LIVE he is absolutely wailing. He starts '76 going on tour worldwide with every song so far I would ever include in these lists. He wails into that void so hard... Things dip, but then escalate back up in 1980. Coming Up. Starting Over Again. But then unfortunately...

Act V: Post Dec 8, 1980. Pending. There's a lot here, but it's so sad it's taking me awhile.

Please contribute suggestions if I've missed relevant songs!

I'll be working on providing more details explanations of some song inclusions.

[mythserene]

I got a message I figured I would try to answer out here because updating my less-informed, earlier Lewisohn musings has been on my To Do list for a while.

From anonymous:

I am enjoying your Lewisohn analysis. Do you think he has taken a bribe from the Lennon estate to play down J&Y’s heroin addiction? I can think of no other reason he would lie about this. He is obviously aware how stupid it makes him look.

Thank you for the question, anonymous. Back in October when I first started publicly posting about Mark Lewisohn I knew a lot less about him and hadn't been able to form any sort of picture about what happened between him and Paul/Apple. Or the ongoing and seemingly increasing enmity between he and Paul (+ the Beatles' families), or the anger that seems to be almost boiling over in Lewisohn these past few years.

And for what it's worth—as far as I can understand—even Yoko has locked Lewisohn out. Apple is a unified front on this one.

I do not think that anyone has gotten to Lewisohn to make him say these things, or even that he is aware that he looks stupid. I think that Beatles' fans are extremely straight-laced in the best way, and that the habit of trusting someone like Lewisohn dies hard. Until AKOM's Fine Tuning series I'm not aware of anyone ever putting forward a concerted challenge to even his most extreme narratives. The voluminous word count of the book and the simple fact of all those citations lulled most people into complacency. Until Fine Tuning no one had looked further, or if they did they were shy about stating it. People in the Beatles' community are afraid of criticizing Lewisohn, and I've heard that again and again these past few months. But AKOM went for it, made a persuasive case, and opened the floodgates. (And gave me an opportunity and an outlet for the problems I had been finding, and supported me. Phoebe and Daphne are the only reason you're reading this.)

Back to the question.

First of all, I think that Lewisohn genuinely idolizes John, and I think he is fanatically committed to the narrative of John-as-demigod. And I tend to think that he is now perhaps more committed to his telling of the Beatles' story than even to the beliefs that undergird his narrative. But the other half of the equation that the Solomon-like part of my mind failed to accept for a long time is just how much Mark Lewisohn seems to hate Paul McCartney. And I do not use that word lightly.

When AKOM started their Fine Tuning series I was half-excited and half-nervous. I am a citations freak. I like original sources and I basically mine books and podcasts to find sources and hunt them down. I also came into the Beatles without the background that most fans have. I didn't understand the John vs Paul fight in Beatles historiography. I loved John and Paul both, for different reasons, but mostly I loved them together. What initially caught me about Tune In were all the claims that were completely unsourced, and before long I began discovering more troubling issues, but after a while I forced myself to set it aside because I was just frustrating myself and it seemed like a waste of time to argue with Mark Lewisohn on my computer.

It was Shells and Barriers that made a new thought intrude and begin to become inescapable: Mark Lewisohn must genuinely detest Paul McCartney. This was the episode I most dreaded because, well, because I was ignorant of a lot. I expected it to be the most subjective, and I have a lot of empathy for John as I am an only child who lost both parents a month apart. It makes you feel like you have no tether at all. Like you're floating in space and that any breeze might carry you off. There's no cushion and you feel exposed.

But that episode did something that I was unable to do on my own—that I didn't have the breadth of knowledge to comprehend on my own—it filled in a lot of gaps that I was unaware of. And I simply could not fathom any reason for most of how Lewisohn framed Paul's childhood besides pure loathing. Daphne's word counts are pretty incredible, too. John is jealous twice, both times of Cynthia. (+a "Jealous Guy" mention.) The numbers that stood out to me right away and have stuck in my memory were Paul being "jealous" eight times and "envious" five times = thirteen. And even beyond Lewisohn making Paul out to be completely unmoved by his mother's death and painting the aftermath as safe and comforting, it's notable that Paul is only said to be "loved" four times in the entire book, and he is only said to be loved by John. (Stu is said to be loved nine times.) I realized when I listened to that episode that my picture of Paul's relationship with Mike had been refrigerated and flattened out by Tune In, all without me noticing it. Because Lewisohn doesn't hit you over the head with things, instead he subtly and slyly frames things in a careful and deceitful way, and that framing shapes the reader's opinions.

The case of bias in his writing about John and Paul's childhoods is not easy to make, especially in the ways I like to make a case—finding discreet objective evidence that can be straightforwardly disproved—but AKOM's overall case in that episode was devastating, and there were several details that stood out to me and have stuck with me. Jim hitting Paul until Paul basically threatened to hit back as a teenager and the unnoted redaction of that in a John quote Lewisohn uses is fairly indefensible, and the choice to leave out that Jim was suicidal after Mary's death and to instead paint a picture of a loving and nurturing extended family swooping in that almost sounds better than what the boys had had before losing their mum impressed me as almost malicious when patiently laid out. And then there were a lot of smaller details that struck me. Lewisohn describes Mike as "shattered irrevocably" by Mary's death, which is contrasted with Paul's callousness. (And the way the "shattered" sentence is written it also leaves the impression that Paul wasn't that close to his mum, although Lewisohn is careful not to say that in so many words.)

Jim broke the news to the boys. Mike, who was especially close to his mother, burst into tears, a core part of him shattered irrevocably. Paul's response was less expected and not at all what Jim or anyone else wanted to hear. ... Eight years later, Mike looked back with candor on these first few days ... "Paul made some flippant remark which sounded pretty callous at the time" ...

(Emphasis mine)

Then in a Frankenquote that is half author interview, Paul is quoted as saying about both he and John losing their mothers:

“We had a bond there that we never talked about—but each of us knew that had happened to the other ... I know he was shattered, but at that age you're not allowed to be devastated, and particularly as young boys, teenage boys, you just shrug it off.”

And Dusty Durband, Paul's English Master, was quoted in Chris Salewicz's 1986 biography of Paul describing him as “shattered.”

“Paul had a bad break, his mother had died. He did go through a bit of a rough patch then. I think it shattered him a lot. Maybe it made him turn to other things like practicing his guitar...”

It's like Lewisohn is screwing with Paul by keeping that adjective away from him and even teasing him by handing it to his brother, just out of Paul's reach. I hesitate to write that because it probably sounds as extreme as some of Lewisohn's conclusions, but my Lewisohn immersion has made it seem completely logical, and in fact, almost undeniable. It's a small detail that doesn't seem that important in isolation, but even with just the context of the rest of that AKOM episode it was a piece of evidence that my mind caught and held onto. Lewisohn, by his own testimony, is a Paul watcher. He obsessively listens to, watches, and reads McCartney interviews and is forever bringing them up on podcasts, waxing on about how he understands Paul McCartney like no one else. (This is invariably followed by an example that is freakishly twisted inside Lewisohn's mind to reveal some negative aspect of Paul's character.)

I don't think that Paul and Mark Lewisohn had some great falling out. Instead what I think occurred added up to a thousand paper cuts in Lewisohn's very thin skin. He felt humiliated by Paul one too many times, and he pushed every humiliation down into his gut, coated them in bile, and remembered them.

Last November there was a Lewisohn interview in a Spanish language magazine, Jot Down, where Lewisohn tells one of these little anecdotes. They're always couched in neutral language, and he usually says how whatever happened was understandable, but the theme is the same: some perceived slight by Paul that he had to swallow in silence. (The translation is 98% Google translate. I corrected three or four pronouns that it had mistranslated, but nothing else.)

“He didn't say goodbye to me, he didn't give me a hint of grace.”

Q. I remember a television program in which Paul was asked for a detail of his own life, and he answered "ask Mark Lewisohn." LEWISOHN: Yes. It was a little weird, sometimes. On one occasion, for example, I worked with George Martin on a television documentary about Sgt. Pepper. But he also kept working with Paul. So there we were, on Abbey Road interviewing McCartney with all the equipment, the television cameras and everything else. Then the director of the documentary tells me to let him know if Paul makes a mess with any information, so that I can ask him to repeat his answer with the correct information. I sat there, hoping that I didn't have to intervene. But Paul said he had the idea of making the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band flying back from the United States. And I knew that hadn't happened like that. Let's see, I wasn't there, but I know he had the idea coming back from Nairobi. In fact, he didn't fly to the United States until Sgt. Pepper was finished. And, on the return trip, he was already thinking about the Magical Mystery Tour. I usually let these details go, they're really not that important. Except if they are recording him for a documentary about the 25 years of Sgt. Pepper that was going to be broadcast on television. So, while the cameraman was changing the movie roll, I approached the director and said "Paul was coming back from Nairobi and not from the United States when he had the idea for the album, I don't know what you want to do about it." And the director goes and releases him, "Paul, Mark says you didn't understand it well. That you didn't have the idea when you were flying back from the United States." To which Paul stared at me and replied "Yes, I did." It was a very uncomfortable, difficult and embarrassing moment when I wanted the floor to swallow me. He didn't say goodbye to me, he didn't give me a hint of grace. And I had to learn when to say something and when not to. But, in that place, my job was to say something. I was paid to say something. So I said something, and he didn't like it. Nobody likes to be corrected.

Sorry, anonymous. I wrote far more than an answer because I used your question as an excuse to get on the record an addendum and some corrections to my earlier musings, but I do not think Lewisohn has any idea of how ridiculous he sounds. He is insulated from almost all criticism and is constantly praised as a sort of Beatles' god. He worships John and wants to shape the Beatles' story to redeem him, but I also think he believes in the story that he has shaped. I think he is lost and frustrated at being locked out by Apple—and actively thwarted by them—and that has made his criticisms of Paul much more public. It's as if his new job is just going on podcasts and taking pot shots at Paul McCartney. And for Mark Lewisohn it's clear that the Holy Grail is the breakup. He is intent on recasting Allen Klein as much more of a positive force than history has given him credit for, and Lewisohn has foreshadowed a parallel between Klein and Epstein by manipulating all the evidence about Paul and Brian. He is going to cast Paul as the bad guy and John as the hero. As always. And if John and Yoko are addicted to heroin that throws his whole rewrite into chaos. He simply cannot concede that there was a real issue. John cannot be fully human. He robs John of what makes John so magnificent.

So everyone else has to be wrong.

Just for fun before I go, another narrative Lewisohn was working on putting forward in this “John was actually right” case, was rehabilitating Magic Alex. “Get Back” seemingly thwarted this line of nonsense, but after bingeing the Nagras Lewisohn was seriously pushing the idea that Magic Alex had been slandered by history and that John's judgment about him had been vindicated. It takes listening to a lot of these interviews—something that I can only do in small doses—to begin to see the fuller picture that Lewisohn was wedded to, and Magic Alex is as much a part of that as the heroin comments are. They are all of a piece.

“And they just had to get mobile gear in. So, big deal.”

In the end, I think what Mark Lewisohn means by “right” is different than what “right” means to everyone else. “Right” to Mr. Lewisohn means warped quotes that tell a fabricated story of Paul McCartney not wanting Brian Epstein as his manager. “Right” means Magic Alex being a wizard, unfairly tarnished by the lesser Beatles. “Right” means Yoko being John's artistic savior, and of a heroin addiction dreamed up by bad actors who don't understand things the way he does. A myth perpetrated by those who cannot grasp the truth. And I genuinely believe that Mark Lewisohn revels in the power of being able to take Paul McCartney's own story away from him and use it to hurt him and to hurt his legacy. To use his power over the Beatles' story to wound Paul, the way he feels that Paul wounded him. In so many interviews when Lewisohn talks about Paul he seethes. (It's quite impressive.)

And I think the thought of Lewisohn's retelling slipping away or being supplanted is a very threatening idea in his mind. I think it scares him. I think he is holding onto a delusion of his own making, and he fears that he will not be able to finish his life's work of solidifying that warped tale into historical fact.

Nothing is Real - Lewisohn seethe quick mix

[pleasantlyinsincere]

David Cassidy on John from Could it be forever? -My Story

During that time, I also got to know one of my musical heroes, John Lennon. When he split with Yoko and was with May Pang, I spent some time in LA with him at Elliot Mintz's house and spent a little time chatting with him. We subsequently had dinner together a couple of times. We'd go to the Imperial Gardens so we could be in a private room where no one would bother us. Later I flew back to New York twice and spent a little time with Yoko. She is very bright and I liked her a lot. I think she was treated unfairly by the media and the public. She provided a real grounding for John and a place to feel safe. She loved him for who she was, not because he was a Beatle. I later found the same thing with my wife, Sue. [...] During the last year of Partridge Family, 1974, John continued making the Rock'n'Roll album. I saw Elliot all the time and John and I would pass messages back and forth to each other through him. John came over to my house in Encino on New Year's eve 1974 or 1975, when I had just finished my world tour. Susan Dey was there and I had fallen asleep at around midnight on her lap. Elliot and John showed up and they had been drinking and celebrating. Susan woke me up and said, 'David, I think there is a Beatle in the house.' After slurring a few words to each other, John and I decided to play some music. So we went to my music room, where I had all my guitars, and we sat on the floor and I began playing the Beatles' song Any Time at All. It was one of my favorites. That and Mr. Moonlight. And John was like, 'Oh, I can't remember that.' He had written hundreds of songs since then. So I sort of re-taught him the chord structure. We sang it together and I did Paul's part. It was like being a Beatle for a moment. I was fulfilling a dream I'd had when I was 13, learning Beatles' songs on my first guitar after seeing them on the Ed Sullivan show. You don't forget some of the first songs you learn. We started playing rock'n'roll songs, stuff by Chuck Berry like Nadine. John loved all that Chuck Berry stuff and he knew it much better than I did. It didn't sound very good, we were drinking, laughing and just stumbling through it. I played him a song I had just written and he started playing me stuff that he was working on. [...] I had an interesting relationship with John. I related to him because of his abandonment issues and creativity. He was kind enough to give me inside into what I was about to go through. He'd been there and done that and was in the process of demystifying himself. Once we were having lunch together, he invited me to come to A&M studios where he was recording the Rock'n'Roll album. He asked me if I wanted to play with the other musicians. I did go but it was so crowded and almost every great guitar player you can think of was there. Harry Nilsson, Cher and lots of other people were there, too. At the time I didn't want to be part of the circus. I only stayed for around 15 minutes, although in hindsight I probably should have played. John had a fabulous sense of humour. He was more dedicated to the things he believed in than anyone I can think of. He wasn't seduced by greed. We only spoke briefly about Paul and his comments at the time were, 'Yeah, well, you know, that's just Paul.' I think John was deeply hurt by their differences and the fact that their partnership wasn't a partnership. He felt the competition with Paul who would come in with 15 songs and want to record them all. John told me, 'I don't want to be in, you know, "Paul & the Beatles". I don't want to be a sideman for Paul. It's not what I want to do anymore.' John Lennon had a very strong influence on me by giving me advice on how to start trying to live a normal life again. How do I find a way to walk down the street or go to a restaurant and not be paranoid? We talked a lot about that. There were certain things that I could say to him and he could say to me that no other people on earth could understand except perhaps the other Beatles and Elvis.

[unvolver]

Last message from me and then I'll leave you alone (unless you want me to keep chatting haha) but when it comes to omegaverse my big problem with it is how it's totally flattened the creative arena. and not just for mpreg (which I've been a dutiful reader of for 20 years) but for other genres too. Like if you've ever read the word "slick" being used as a noun in a regular porn story, that's an omegaverse trope that's completely invaded other genres. It's like kudzu, omegaverse is an invasive species of a genre that is slowly choking and killing fanfiction and helping to flatten it so that everything reads the same way. A lot of creativity and subtlety in smut and character tropes (not just the Beatles though its shudder-inducingly present) has been razed to the ground thanks to omegaverse and how it absolutely insists on a strict hierarchy that absolutely must be adhered to at all times and how it forces 3d characters into idiotic 2d depictions.

And yes that has always been an issue with bad writing but I've seen the transformation take place in real time where omegaverse has actively made everything worse by killing nuance. John Lennon is absolutely NOT a psychologically troubled individual with a history of retreating emotionally and manipulating his loved ones so he feels more secure; now he's an insecure whiny baby who can't do anything without his Scary Daddy fisting 20 times a day while he screams and thrashes. Also this is considered romantic and it's based in werewolf porn, it's the most majestic love story of our times. (please note that the "scary daddy" role is interchangeable with any literally any male character.)

This is present in other fandoms too and it's a real shame. Reading fanfiction set before the omegaverse apocalypse levelled fandom (for the worse) is a night and day comparison, so much even in subtle details that simply doesn't exist anymore due to this pervasive and weird porn trope.

general psa for all my followers and frequenters of my ask box: do not worry about annoying me with asks because i love talking and rambling for hours. please talk to me about anything.

but anyways i completely agree with you, my skin shudders when i walk into barnes and nobles and am hit with such titles like this

omegaverse hitting the mainstream kills me. a part of me dies when i hear about all these manga then anime adaptions and live action bl shows that all take place in omegaverse. for the love of god keep this in fanfiction

again, agree omegaverse is the worst offender of stripping away characters and making them into hollow caricatures.

i haven’t been a fanfic reader for very long, only ~6 years and i’ve disliked the trope since i first got into fics and writing some myself. but i feel like the explosion of omegaverse into actual published media didn’t happen until after 2020 unless i’m missing something. because i didn’t remember published bl and tv dramas that included omegaverse. at least it didn’t become so popular that i see people on tiktok making jokes about living in the verse or actual explanations on what it is there. i literally saw videos of random highly edited twinky guys tagged with #omega today on that app.

[mclennonlgbt]

Did Elton John suspect McLennon?

I believe it's very likely that Elton guessed that there was SOMETHING between John and Paul.

To start with, I want to quote an excerpt from my Walls and Bridges post: "Let's sum it up: Lennon spent a lot of time with Elton, gay (at the time he was 28, and he realized his sexual orientation at about 23 yo), and a musician connected to the glam rock scene (and glam rock is inherently queer). I guess that Elton knew or at least suspected what John feels towards Paul. And let's remember that at that time Lennon was coming to terms with his bisexuality which he already signaled in 1972. In 1974 John interviewed himself for Andy Warhol's Interview Magazine to promote Walls and Bridges. Here comes the question: "Have you ever fucked a guy?". The response: "Not yet, I thought I’d save it til I was 40, life begins at 40 you know, tho I never noticed it". Further dialogue: "Q. It is trendy to be bisexual and you’re usually 'keeping up with the Jones’, haven’t you ever… there was talk about you and PAUL… A. Oh, I thought it was about me and Brian Epstein… anyway I’m saving all the juice for my own version of THE REAL FAB FOUR BEATLES STORY etc.. etc.."".

Page 2nd of that interview contains a photo of John and Elton:

On November 28, 1974 they were performing together in Madison Square Garden. Announcing "I saw her standing there", John said: "And we thought we do another number of an old enstraged fiancee of mine, called Paul" (Tony King stated that Lennon often referred to McCartney that way).

As we can read in "Christies Auction; Rock & Pop Memorabilia" (July 2008): "Paul Gambaccini [PG] recalled that when he was waiting in the wings that evening, Elton passed him and said cryptically…"The Third Number". PG felt that Elton was probably remarking on the significance that Lennon was performing a Beatles song at this time, especially one written by Paul McCartney. [Lennon only sang a Beatles song in public on three occasions after the split]".

@paulsrighthand analyzed this excerpt perfectly: "I really do feel like he is trying to convey something significant, and the anecdotes and phrasing he chose are purposeful. The very fact that he shares the story of Elton passing him and saying, "cryptically".. the third number, is IMO, no accident. Elton, I'm sure, would have been aware that Paul Gambaccini is gay. Paul G would also know that Elton is gay. I believe that it was probably known that John was going to used the estranged fiancee line (I'll get to that in a second). So, in my theoretical scenario, a gay man is cryptically telling another gay man that his male friend will shortly be dedicating an overtly romantic message to his male friend… to phrase it another way, its just gossip! Like, OMG, you won't believe what John's about to do. It's the simplest explanation, I think?".

What's more, when Elton recalled this event years later, he said that John used the words: "an old FRIEND of mine" but pay attention to his body language. As @paulsrighthand summed up: "If you want to hide your love away , Sir Elton John will be the man to keep your secret, but he will have a little fun whilst doing so imagines a little tee hee thought bubble above his head every time he mentions John and Paul".

And last but not least: a birthday collage to Elton sent by John in 1975!

In a nutshell: John made a tone of queer references here, for example used polari. He also made references to McLennon; one of them is photo of a naked man who reminds Paul. The man is standing backwards so we can't say if that's Paul for sure but even if not, it might have been a sign for Elton. Or maybe John just liked guys of this type?

Even if we assume that Elton did not understand the references to McLennon in this collage (which is unlikely), we know (as seen from the previous points) that he knew John was very interested in queer topics. Elton would have been stupid not to know that John was probably bisexual too; and if so, he probably feels something gay for Paul (I suppose John talked a lot about Paul at the time).

I highly recommend you check out the original post about the birthday collage. There are more quotes there. People were reblogging and commenting on this post, sharing some really interesting reflections.

So... did Elton know what was going on? You may not believe it. But you can also believe in Santa Claus and fairies.

[messinwitheddie]

Nny "Happy Noodle Boy has no plot line. It's just nonsense and venting."

Stan "You can work those things into a plot line. Hear me out--"

Nny "No-"

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy enters the demolition derby."

Nny "No."

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy saves the roller rink."

Nny "No."

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy buys a mail-order bride."

Nny "Stop."

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy goes on tour with Alice Cooper."

Nny "NO."

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy inherits a yacht, gets lost at sea then abducted by pirates."

Nny "No."

Stan "Sexy pirates."

Nny "Still no."

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy enters the big chili making contest."

Nny "Just let me enjoy my brain freezy."

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy gets abducted by the mafia and has to chew his way out of the trunk of a car."

Nny "I said I was sorry for stabbing you. I won't try it again."

Stan "I never said don't try it again. I said next time go for my jugular."

Nny "I went for your jugular. You grabbed ahold of MY throat."

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy accidentally gets roped into a firearms/ toy chihuahua breeding cartel."

Nny "I hate you."

Stan "These pitches are gold! Start writing these down!"

Nny " angrily sips on brain freezy*

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy gets his prostate checked."

Nny * loud slurping*

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy pays off a massive gambling debt by adopting a wayward teen, harvesting his organs and selling them on the black market."

Nny "If that's your endgame, you should know, I pretty much LIVE off these things. My kidneys are worthless."

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy discoveres he's allergic to latex after getting really heavy into BDSM."

Nny *chokes on freezy*

Nny *coughs/ laughs*

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy discoveres a new species of dolphin then hunts it into extinction. Happy Noodle Boy gets assassinated trying to blow the whistle on where baby powder comes from; it's dehydrated babies."

Nny *still laughing*

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy infiltrates the Vatican. Happy Noodle Boy accidentally shoves his egg head scientist twin brother through an interdimensional gateway and spends decades trying to bring him back to this dimension. Some of these are based on real life experiences."

Nny "At least 10 of these can't possibly be based on real life experiences."

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy joins a cult then becomes the cult leader and herds all his followers head first into a giant meat grinder."

Nny *laughs*

Stan "You have a mean sense of humor, Johnny."

Nny "You're the one making this shit up."

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy gets his groove back."

Stan "Happy Noodle Boy builds a Frankenstein monster out of the unearthed corpses of Princess Diana and John Lennon-- and together they change the world!"

Nny "Leave me alone, Boss."

Stan "Wait! I have about five more."

Nny "I'm eating my lunch on the roof from now on."

Stan "I'm telling you, Johnny, Noodle Boy's character has legs! He can go places!"

[There are probably dozens of spelling errors up here. I was speeding through this.

The BS I come up with on four hours of sleep in three days. There's so much else I meant to get around to drawing today (Sorry to anyone who sent me messages, asks or submissions that I haven't gotten around to yet). This one is for me.]

[aquoteamusetheword]

The Music of My Life

“Music can heal the wounds which medicine cannot touch.” ~ Debasish Mridha

I remember when I fell in love with music, rock music. It was when my very cool uncle Lynn returned home from Vietnam. He had a reel-to-reel tape deck and giant headphones (hence the picture). This is when I first heard Iron Butterfly, King Crimson, Yes, Led Zeppelin, Warm, to name a few… I was hooked.

My Mom and stepdad loved music too. Our road trips always included loud signing with the windows down. I will never forget the Christmas when I received my first stereo. I still know my first two vinyl albums; Supertramp ‘Breakfast in America’ (a favorite even today) and John Lennon / Yoko Ono ‘Milk & Honey’.

Many Friday and Saturday nights were spent playing bumper pool in my friend Stephen's basement. We had a car 8 track player wired to a set of speakers. The only 8 track we had was Bad Company ‘Burning Sky’, I still know every word to every song.

Eventually, we purchased a CD player for the house. My mind was blown when I listened to the full digital recording that was Dire Straits ‘Brother in Arms’, I am sure our neighbors enjoyed it too.

In the event that someone under the age of thirty-five is reading this, I have some explaining to do. Here is a brief history of pre recorded music in my lifetime. In my early childhood vinyl LPs were what we listened to at home. The only option for the car was the 8 Track. If you don’t know what an 8 Track tape is, imagine a case twice as wide and twice as tall as your iPhone. It made up for its clunkiness by pausing and changing tracks in the middle of every other song (usually during the best part of the song). Finally, cassettes arrived, they were roughly half the size, played on both sides and you could record LPs on to them (I know the technology is overwhelming). CDs ushered in the digital age.

Believe it or not, we used to hear a song we liked on the radio, actually drive to the music store, browse the CDs, find the one with the song on it, pay $12.99 (if it was on sale), hope the rest of the songs were good, spend and hour recording it on to cassette so that we could listen to it in the car, this was a far cry from “Alexa, shuffle the hits of the eighties…”

I worked at Musicland when I was in college. After school, my first 'real' job was to manage the one in Brookwood Village in Birmingham. This store was the number one Jazz and Classical location in the entire 2000 store chain. We played it every morning and I learned to love these genres as well. David Sanborn ‘Straight to the Heart’, David Lanz ‘Cristofori’s Dream’ and Nigel Kennedy ‘Vivaldi’s Four Seasons’ are all still in my rotation.

It was here that I met the sweetest older man, Stan. He walked the mall a few times a week and he knew and loved classical music like no one else I have ever known. He was in the middle of the long and arduous task of buying CDs to replace his LPs as they were being released. I had his list and anytime a we received one of the recordings on CD, I would give him a call. We often had lunch in the food court, he taught me about classical composers, I taught him about Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Stan stopped walking the mall. I left two messages about new arrivals and he didn’t show. I was concerned and missed my friend. A few days later a man entered the store and asked for me, I introduced myself. He told me that he was Stan’s son and that his father had passed away. I never even knew that he had cancer. I will never forget the next words from his mouth…” my dad wanted me to tell you how much he appreciated your talks and you calling him, and he wanted you to have this.” He handed me an LP wrapped in brown paper. We embraced, he departed. I went to the back, shed a tear and unwrapped a pristine copy of ‘Meet the Beatles’ on Apple records, still in cellophane. I have never even had it appraised, to me it is priceless.

“Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things” ~Psalm 98:1

[spaceorphan18]

Glee Musical Retrospective: Imagine (Hairography)

Sung by: Haverbrook School for the Deaf and New Directions Original Artist(s): John Lennon

This is one of those times where Glee steps away from its usual satirical and/or melodramatic fare and gives us a genuine from the heart performance. I think it's quietly impactful and easily the best thing to come out of this somewhat messy episode.

Story Analysis

So, this is pretty much the antithesis of Crazy in Love/Hair - a soft, already emotionally punching song that brings the heart of the episode (and show) front and center.

Glee is going to do this a lot (and I'll dig deeper as we go along) where it punctuates its emotional moments with slow, simple ballads built on music that's already been formulated to make you cry. This sounds like I'm being cynical - but here I'm being sincere - this moment, I believe, is well earned within the story.

The episode uses the word 'distraction' a lot and as Rachel says earlier in the episode -- all the hair and choreography used in earlier performances is a cover for a lack of any real emotional depth.

Now... as an aside, I think that music has many, many different purposes, and a hard hitting, club song that is mostly bass and a drum beat is worth some artistic license, and has value, even if it's used for a different purpose. Glee is going to have an issue going forward where it's going to equate "deep, meaningful music" with how slow and dramatic the singer sings with it. I don't actually agree with that sentiment (we'll get into it more when we talk about The Boy Next Door vs Being Alive - but that's much later).

Getting back to this episode, though, is the idea that the New Directions had become so focused on its showiness (Will specifically being scared of a group who had better dancers) that it forgot its strengths -- focusing on the heart of the music itself. And who to better showcase that message than people who can't hear music at all.

The song itself is about unity - and it's a nice moment for the glee clubs to come together, to be reminded that it's not about winning or competitions or ridiculous hair - but about sharing something that all of us can have in common - music. And that gets to the heart of what the show is really about, too -- that whole 'being a part of something makes you special'. A reminder that music there to bring people together - to feeling things - and to have a genuine human moment between people.

Technical Thoughts

I don't have a whole lot to comment on here.

I think that they used an actual deaf choir, but I have nothing to actually back me up on that. I really appreciate the fact that they let the deaf choir use ASL for the whole thing. And while I know some critics felt that New Directions coming in felt invasive, I think it added to the message of unity.

Did you notice that Mercedes and Artie take the lead again? They are the undisputed King and Queen of taking on songs when good singers are needed but are not plot relevant. Amber and Kevin both have incredible voices, and the show often likes to showcase them -- but just when it isn't tied to plot.

I suppose I'll spare you my music theory 101 lecture on how songs like this were built to make you cry. But music is mathematic, and assuming that a majority of you have had an American, European, and/or Australian up brining, this song was designed to make you cry with a combination of specific curated tones (as well as contextual elements within the show) and influences of how you understand music.

This is why I don't usually go too technical. Anyway...

vs. The Studio Recording: Okay. So, this is one of the few times when the studio version is actually shorter than the performance on the show. Why? Well - here's where my cynicism actually steps in. The short answer is - iTunes sales. And the fact that some Fox executive probably said that no one would buy the song if you had the deaf choir member singing at it. And at the end of the day - this is America, where everything is commodified because capitalism.

I still enjoy this version, it sounds great. (It's a great song overall.) But I do wonder how this song would have been done if they had included the beginning as done in the show.

vs. The Original Version: I guess Yoko Ono had to be really talked into letting Glee have the song - and they had to explain the context and how it would be used in a meaningful way before she let them have it. Glee doesn't deviate from the structure of the song (which is good - this song should be simple in design) but it's interesting that it somewhat strips away Lennon's political underlinings of the song, and uses it how it's often seen - as a song about unity of the human race. It works on the show - and I like how it's used, but I always find it fascinating that such a beloved song is very political without people, I think, really realizing it.

[horribleness-grub]

Why are they called "The Beatles"

they didn't even make one motherfucking song about bugs

1. "Because they BEAT people with hammers."

2. "Because they secretly are beetles, they just want to keep quiet about it. Take a closer look at their heads: the bowl shape, the brown, almost solid luster. Seems off, yes? They definitely are bugs in disguise I would bet, that if you took a close listen to some of their songs, you will find subliminal messages from the beetle empire. Surely, no man would make such ghoulish noises in that booth. No real man, cou-" *CIA operative tases me again*

3. *Shoots john lennon*

[greeen-bean]

Friday

"Maybe it just takes seventy years to get the hang of being alive."

"'I'll never forget what dear old John Lennon said: We're more popular than Jesus now. They attacked him for it that, I'll tell you. But he was right. It was a religion.'"

"'They gave these girls something very safe to love. Something that would never bite them back. In the sixties, everything would bite you back if you were a girl.' I wonder whether that's why I love The Ark. Because they're safe. But they're not, are they? They still managed to bite me back when I got too close."

"'Were you part of beatlemania?' I ask her. She chuckles and looks down at the table. 'Well, that was a long time ago,' she says."

"When am I going to get to visit Granddad next? Who knows when I I'll have my next day off? What if he dies before then? What if I've already seen him for the last time?"

" Friends come and go. Right? I've been through this already so many times before. Friends are good for a while, but eventually, you have to move on. 'Best Friends Forever' is an imaginary concept. No one can be friends forever. Not with me anyway. Doesn't matter. It's all good. I've still got The Ark."

"He huffed a laugh. 'Are those the only two options? 'Fancy' or 'deeply in love'?'"

"'I get it.' 'What?' 'I get why you lied.' I smile weakly. 'I do stuff like that too. Back at home, with my school friends. I just say things to be liked and... stay silent about stuff I care about. Because I feel like no one cares about the "real me". But with Juliet I felt a bit more like myself.'"

"Sometimes I look at Rowan and can't remember what he used to look like. [...] He had rimless glasses and short tight curls. His jumper was way too big for him. As soon as we both learnt that we each wanted to be in a band we were best friends. The boy next to me isn't anything like that boy. Not bright-eyed and excited to tell me about the new guitar he got for his birthday. Not dragging me to the music block to show me he could play the baseline of a Vaccines song. No laughter. No wonder. We got what we wanted in the end, though. Didn't we? We wanted to be in a band."

"Lister starts tapping out a quiet jazz beat on the drums. [...] I start pressing the buttons on my lunch pad in time with Lister's beat. It isn't on, so it doesn't any sound apart from rhythmic clicks. [...] Rowan starts plucking a few notes in time with my button-pressing and Listers beat. [...] Lister starts singing under his breath. 'And when he gets to heaven,' he sings - words I don't know, and a tune that goes somehow perfectly with the chords Rowan is making up on the spot - 'to Saint Peter he will tell: one more soldier reporting, Sir. I've served my time in hell.'"

"Sometimes I think about taking drugs. Sometimes I think it might help. When I see Lister smoke and drink, I know it's bad, but I understand why he does it. So he doesn't have to think. I hate thinking."

"' You know I love you, right?' he says, his voice sounding different, low, right next to my ear. 'I know you and Rowan have always been a team, but... I love you too... okay?'"

"'Do you ever imagine what would happen if we just... ran away?' asks Lister, suddenly. [...] 'I think about it all the time,' I say. God I want to try. 'Do you?' 'Yeah?' God, I just want to go. 'I should try it,'"

"I could go and see Granddad. We could celebrate my birthday and he could make me hot chocolate and we could play Scrabble."

"I step backwards, away from him, away from the window. 'I think I'm gonna go,' I say. His grin drops. 'Jimmy... are you joking?' I step back a little more dropping down from the pavement. My heart is beating so fast.I feel so fucking good. 'No,' I say. [...] It's silent apart from the pattering of the rain. 'Where are you going?!' He shouts at me. Oh God, I could go anywhere."

"Juliet or Jimmy? It's an obvious choice, right? I need to talk to Juliet. Jimmy will have to wait. I can message him on Twitter later. He'll probably never see it anyway. Juliet is the priority today. I need to talk to her. I need to repair the mess I've made."

"'Whatever's troubling you, it'll go away.' I look back at him and say, 'What?' He he taps his finger on the steering wheel. 'I know it can't be easy being someone like you. D'you have friends around you? People to support you?' I mumble something about being fine and close the door. Enough of that."

"I want Angel to come with me. I don't know why, but I do. Is it because I know I won't be able to get through out of here alone? Maybe. Is it because I feel drawn to her? I don't know. I don't know why I feel anything anymore. Maybe it's just because she's the only fan in the world who knows who I really am. I don't want to just say goodbye and never see her again."

"'My Grandma's dead, I say. She stops talking. 'My mum and dad have always worked. They're divorced and they've both got big business careers that take them all over the world, which is why I've lived with my grandparents since I was little. But because of that I've never been close to them. They they don't really care about me that much so I don't speak to them very often.' She doesn't talk. Our shoes splash against the road. 'My older sister goes to university in America. We don't really talk. She doesn't like people knowing we're related.'"

"I go to the front of the pews and sit for the first time in weeks, months, I don't know how long, reach out to God. He's Waiting. He always is. No matter how long I go, no matter how shit it all gets, at least I have one or two things waiting for me. God doesn't care whether I have one pound or one hundred million. God doesn't care if I make a mistake, if I fuck up again and again and again. God asks me 'How are you?' and I just start crying. I try to be quiet but I can hear my sniffs echoing from the stone walls. God says, 'Say something,' and I tell Him that I don't know what to say, and He says, 'Anything you've got.' But I just cry some more. God tells me, 'Everything that happens is making you stronger,' and I want to believe Him but I can't. 'I love you anyway,' He tells me. At least someone does."

"'But the trouble is, while asking for help is always good, it's impossible to keep relying on others to solve your problems for you. There comes a point where you have to help yourself. Believe in yourself.'"

"There is one thing I'm sure of. One thing I know is the right decision now. Not stupid. Not sad. Not pitiful. I'm freeing myself. I'm leaving The Ark."

[my-music-1460]

Point of View: The Hidden Tool in Songwriting Mastery

While often overlooked, the point of view in songwriting is a hidden tool that can masterfully influence a song's impact. Understanding and manipulating the point of view for your song can add depth and complexity to your music, transforming a simple melody into an unforgettable experience.

The Basics of Point of View

Defining Points of View: In songwriting, the point of view (POV) refers to the perspective from which the song is written. There are three primary points of view: first person, second person, and third person. Each offers unique advantages and shapes the listener's experience differently.

First Person POV: The first-person POV uses pronouns like "I" and "we," making the song feel personal and intimate. This perspective allows songwriters to share their own experiences and emotions directly with the audience.

Second Person POV: The second-person POV uses "you," directly addressing the listener and making them feel like they are part of the song. This can create a sense of immediacy and personal involvement.

Third Person POV: The third-person POV uses "he," "she," or "they," offering a more detached perspective. This allows songwriters to tell broader stories and explore different characters and situations.

First-Person Perspective

Bringing Authenticity and Intimacy: Writing from a first-person perspective can make your songs feel more authentic and relatable. This POV allows you to express personal feelings and experiences, creating a strong emotional connection with your listeners.

Techniques for Writing Compelling First-Person Lyrics:

Personal Narratives: Share real-life stories and emotions. For example, Taylor Swift often uses first-person narratives to connect with her audience.

Vivid Imagery: Use descriptive language to paint a picture of your experiences. Songs like Adele's "Someone Like You" effectively use vivid imagery to convey deep emotions.

Examples of Effective First-Person Songwriting:

"My Immortal" by Evanescence: This song uses the first-person POV to express feelings of loss and longing, creating a hauntingly beautiful experience for the listener.

"I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor: The first-person perspective empowers the song, turning it into an anthem of resilience and strength.

Second-Person Perspective

Creating Direct Engagement and Personal Involvement: Using the second-person POV can make your songs feel more interactive and engaging. This perspective can create a conversational tone, making listeners feel directly addressed and involved in the story.

Techniques for Effective Use of "You" in Lyrics:

Direct Address: Speak directly to the listener or a character in the song. This can create a sense of intimacy and immediacy. For example, in "You Belong with Me" by Taylor Swift, the second-person POV draws the listener into the narrative.

Hypothetical Scenarios: Use "you" to create hypothetical situations that the listener can imagine themselves in. This technique is evident in songs like "Imagine" by John Lennon.

Successful Examples of Second-Person Songwriting:

"You Are the Sunshine of My Life" by Stevie Wonder: The second-person POV creates a heartfelt and personal message, making the listener feel cherished and loved.

"You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morissette: The direct address in this song makes the anger and betrayal more immediate and powerful.

Third-Person Perspective

Telling Intricate Stories with Broad Appeal: The third-person POV allows songwriters to step back and tell stories about others, creating a broader narrative scope. This perspective is perfect for crafting complex stories and exploring different characters and situations.

Crafting Characters and Plots Through Third-Person POV:

Character Development: Create detailed and multi-dimensional characters. Bruce Springsteen's "The River" uses third-person narration to tell the story of a struggling couple.

Expansive Storytelling: Use the third-person POV to explore larger themes and societal issues. Bob Dylan's "Hurricane" tells the story of Rubin Carter, highlighting themes of injustice and racism.

Examples of Third-Person POV in Songs:

"Stan" by Eminem: This song uses a third-person perspective to tell the tragic story of an obsessed fan, creating a compelling and haunting narrative.

"Hotel California" by The Eagles: The third-person POV allows the song to weave a mysterious and immersive story that captivates listeners.

Mastering POV Transitions

How to Seamlessly Transition Between POVs Within a Song: Switching POVs within a song can add dynamism and complexity to your narrative. However, it requires careful handling to ensure smooth transitions and maintain narrative coherence.

Strategies for Changing POVs:

Clear Demarcations: Use verses, choruses, or bridges to indicate shifts in POV. For instance, in "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, the narrative shifts between different perspectives and tones.

Consistent Themes: Ensure that the theme or story remains consistent, even if the POV changes. This helps maintain the listener's engagement and understanding.

Exercises for Practicing POV Transitions:

Rewrite Existing Songs: Take a song you know well and rewrite it from a different POV. This exercise can help you understand how perspective changes affect the narrative.

Create New Verses: Write a song with multiple verses, each from a different POV. This can help you practice seamless transitions and explore different narrative angles.

Conclusion: Mastering the use of point of view can elevate your songwriting, making your songs more engaging and emotionally resonant. By experimenting with different perspectives and understanding how each POV shapes the narrative, you can discover new ways to connect with your audience. Whether you're writing a deeply personal ballad or an expansive story, the point of view for your song is a powerful tool that can enhance your storytelling and musical impact.

[filmprojectcasper]

Film Project Essay - Casper Galbraith

Sound Designer:

The Blade and The Butterfly - Graded project

Rubbed The Wrong Way - 2nd Project

40529141 LMD09126 1st May 2024

The Blade and The Butterfly

Crew:

Director - Kushal Dhingra Producer/Writer - Joesph Olanlokun Director of Photography - Davide Alonge Editor - Ethan Lennon Sound Design - Casper Galbraith Production Design - Catherine Paterson

Intentions and Desires:

From the outset, I was intrigued by this project as a sound designer. A chance to do an action film at the student level is always exciting but also very risky. It is very easy to fall into the trap of making a very amateur film where the somewhat mediocre fighting and action can overshadow or take away from any real message and meaning behind the film. That’s why it was paramount to nail down a story and arc before we even discussed the action sequences we had in mind. I believe that Joseph is an excellent ideas man and he showed lots of passion during the writing stage of this production, so it was a very easy yes to join the crew. References for the film were suggested by Kushal the director. We spoke about the tone of the film and how the sound design needed to play a huge part in making the action scenes feel real. Because the stage combat was relatively low level since none of us as filmmakers had any experience, we would do lots of rehearsals and research to make it as safe as possible. With that lack of experience does come a slightly lower level of output and consistency through the fight sequences. Some punches look believable and others... not so much. That’s where it became imperative that I engage in research into how sound designers tackle fight scenes to make them as believable as possible.

Sound Design Workflow:

To start the research process as a sound designer I went about watching clips and scenes from all types of action films, to get a sense of tone and balance within the mix of a scene. Some films allow their diegetic sounds to sit empty in the space to give it a rawer feel, and others prefer the use of a score to add emotion to the action. Films like Fight Club and John Wick were a few of the references I referred to when researching fight scenes. I also watched videos on YouTube of low-budget filmmakers and how they go about recording and designing fight scenes. Foley is a big part of this process as your on-set sound obviously won’t be picking up any real punches. This led me to multiple videos and articles on how to get the best foley for fight scenes and what objects and techniques foley artists use to get those sounds. We did two Foley sessions for this project. The first one was mainly focused on making the layers for the various punches, knees, and kicks we had planned to include in our choreography. I had been to the shop in the morning to pick up some food items that could be used for the sounds. Bacon was used to create a fleshier high-end sound, as well as using celery for the more bone-breaking crunch dynamic. We also rolled up some leather jackets and punched them in front of the microphone to create a deeper impacting sound. All of these sounds recorded were then taken into ProTools where I went about layering them to make weightful punch sounds. The second Foley session we did was after the shoot. Here we focused on more of the foely for other items within the film such as the axe and the swinging arms of the characters when they were going for a punch. For the axe, we dragged a trowel across a stone slab to give it that grinding edge sound when Sonia picks up the axe in the finale. As for the swinging, we took a plastic tube/pipe and swung it next to the microphone, creating a whooshing effect. When I took all these sounds back into ProTools it was about layering and making sure the sound of the impacts was in line with the picture to make it as believable as possible.

Final Product:

This film was always going to be a challenge, and one that we as young filmmakers were excited for, so either way we are very proud of the work we have done on this module. It’s not often that students tend to make such ambitious projects as this so for that we can hold our heads high. I believe this film falls in the story. I think we tried to do a little too much with the aspects of fighting and dance that we ended up being so lost in the style of the film that we allowed the substance to fall behind. Too much context and characters made it difficult for us to show a clear story arc and left too many questions unanswered throughout the film. However, with that being said I do believe we have fallen on the right side of the mark for a low budget action film. I do feel that we have made a film that is edgy, raw, slightly gritty, and most importantly believable. A huge effort from all the cast and crew, especially Kushal who spent hours in rehearsals and researching the combat. I think it’s come off well. As for my contribution to the sound design, I do believe that for the most part, I have done a very solid job. Having never tackled such a foley-heavy film, I was very proud of the outcome of the punches. They don’t sound too goofy or cartoon-like and much more like real punches. I also think that the world-building within this film is for the most part, pretty good. I tried to create as much tension within the confrontational scene using diegetic audio as possible. This was a challenge I set myself as I felt it would have been too cliche to always refer back to the score. The most disappointing part of my contribution would be the mix. It is an area I am least knowledgeable in and it shows. At the critique session with the class, the main sound feedback was that it felt thin and weak in some areas. Before I attempted to mix the film, it was feeling much fuller and if anything possibly too busy in places. However as we started to mix, I became so fixated on the score at the end and the dialogue that it’s possible that the action sounds and ambience got lost and pushed too farback in the mix. On headphones, it’s not too much of an issue, but when played out of the big speakers you can hear an audible difference. Mixing is a skill that I feel can only be taught through experience, it’s about how the design feels rather than any given specific levels certain elements of the design should be hitting. Overall I think the sound design breathes life into the film and it enhances the viewers’ experience, however, there are multiple aspects of the mix that I will return to and fine-tune to make the whole film more consistent, especially since we have aspirations for possible festival runs.

Word Count - 1160

Rubbed The Wrong Way

Crew:

Director/DoP - Luca Walter Producers - Lili Van Niekerk & Joseph Olanlokun Writer - Jack Maclean Editor - Molly McLachlan Sound designer - Casper Galbraith Production Designer - Catherine Paterson

Intensions and Desires:

I was intrigued by the outline Jack Maclean presented to the class in one of the early film project classes. I felt this film had real potential to be a really funny, absurdist, and surreal film. I was approached by Luca the director do sound for the film and after some deliberation, I said yes. I worried that I was putting too much on my plate as a sound designer with both The Blade and The Butterfly and now Rubbed The Wrong Way, but the only way I could see myself getting better as a designer was by challenging myself and gaining as much experience in different genres as possible. We spoke about different approaches within sound design and how important it would be to find a good composer to breathe life into the comedic elements of the film. I also wanted to try some different audio plug-ins to bring the rather absurd side to the characters within the film, whether this be through specific sounds for different characters, or maybe using the score as a theme for the villains of the film, the massuses.

Sound Design Workflow:

An ADR session was the first part of the sound design to take the course. I spoke to Luca about getting Gaby Hafner in before the shoot to record her lines as the Police/Receptionist in the films to save time in the design. Being as efficient as possible was the only way I was going to be able to get both films done before the crit. I was lucky to split the work up between myself and Joseph, who had expressed his interest in dialogue editing. Having never done dialogue editing before, I sat down with him and showed him the basic theory and workflow behind dialogue editing. Not only do I think it was beneficial for him to learn but also for me, as it ‘teaching’ the process cemented my own workflow. Frequent meetings with director Luca made it easy to lock parts of the film down quicker, again being this efficient, gave me more time to try different effects, such as the demonic voice at the end of the receptionist lines. After doubling the line and using a couple of distortion and saturation tricks, with a slight pitch shift, we had a nice sounding piece of sound design that almost sounded like two voices talking at the same time. After a couple of good calls with the composer and a feedback session, we then had all the components of the design.

Final Product:

I am pretty happy with the final film. I think the sound design helps bring out the comedy elements within the film, where before it might have been falling a little flat. I do think there could be some changes to the edit which would have enhanced some of the sound design elements just that little bit more, but that is something we are going to look into. I really enjoyed mixing the little subtle parts within the film, such as the neck crack and the gulp from Buster in the first flat scene. A blink, you’ll miss it type of design, but they do give the film a natural fuller feel, which I think is crucial when it its easy to just allow the dialogue to dominate a comedy. If I had to change anything about the design, I would go back to look back at the consistency of the mix. A little more time would allow me to make sure the levels are as consistent as they can be throughout the film. This just stops any lines of dialogue from getting lost and also enhances the comedic sound elements. This film relies on its impactful sounds to make the jokes work so that’s why the mix is so important.

Word Count - 638

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I am really happy with my output this semester, I have had some invaluable feedback from both my lecturers and my peers and I can’t wait to jump back on the horse and implement the changes to make the films, the best they can be. Every semester is a learning experience and one I don’t take for granted. I look forward to 4th year and grad films, where we will do it all over again.

[biglisbonnews]

Delilah Belle Breaks Free on 'Nothing Lasts Forever' Nothing lasts forever, not even the wait for Delilah Belle's first single. The daughter of Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin gained international prominence on the hit Bravo show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and managed to turn that stint into a fashion career alongside her sister Amelia. Together, they've walked for the likes of The Blonds and Tommy Hilfiger. But Delilah Belle is ready to grow beyond the course of a fashion it-girl and has secretly worked on music for a few years now. Her debut single "Nothing Lasts Forever" is the culmination of that work. It features a video that delves into the realm of Belle's interior mind. "Nothing lasts forever/ the pain can't stand the weather" the song declares, with various visual metaphors for depression and heartbreak.But the message at the core of the song is one of hope and resilience, like Belle's own public journey with her health. Check out our interview with Delilah Belle — and the PAPER premiere of "Nothing Lasts Forever" — below.Congratulations on the new single. You’ve teased your transition to music for a bit — how does it feel to finally put this song out in the world?I’m so incredibly excited to share this song and its meaning with the world. However, with the excitement comes a bit of fear, since it is something I’ve been working on silently for so long. It feels like once it’s out my life will change, and I’m so excited because this is what I’m truly so passionate about.Who are some of your inspirations right now when working in the studio?Strong women and men who have opened up about their mental health struggles and who make me feel something when listening to their music. There are so many, but for example, I’d say Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Noah Cyrus, John Lennon, Montell Fish and Kina.The video has a strong visual metaphor for depression, and you’ve talked about your own journey with mental health in the past. How did your experiences inform the songwriting process and your musical development?I want to be as real, open and vulnerable as possible. While co-writing I bring my journal, and I literally will read entries from it and express deep things with the other creatives in the room, which I think is a beautiful thing to be able to do. It’s also a form of therapy for me.You’ve lived much of your life in front of cameras, which can lead people to feel like they know everything about you. Have you found that music has been an outlet to express parts of yourself that people might not know about?I do feel like music is an outlet where I can tastefully express myself through sound, lyrics and visuals. People often say to me, “You’re so different in person,” and I take it as a compliment because people are seeing me: my light, my personality and all that I come with. Not just a photo or a little clip from a reality show.Your mom, Lisa, is famous both on and off TV for being something of a business mogul. What sort of advice did she give you while working on your debut?Be kind to everyone. She always continues to support me and reassures me that what I’m putting out is great.She also danced to a preview track on TikTok, which is something of a trademark for her. How did it feel to see that and know it's your music?She’s too funny. I think my first response was, “Thank you so much for doing that dance but are you going out brunching with the girls?” She makes me laugh, the outfit and the dance were both so Lisa because it didn't fit the song, but I loved it.What’s next for Delilah Belle?I’ll leave you with: "You'll see!" And working on my EP.Photography by Amaury Nessaibia https://www.papermag.com/delilah-belle-nothing-lasts-forever-2659607365.html

[lakanakana]

haii i know I don't know you but since you added those tags on my post: what do you MEAN YOU THOUGHT JOHN LENNON WASNT REAL

I thought he was just some 60s or 70s soap opera character that stay-at-home moms gushed over pleasE FORGIVE ME AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA