#there were a lot of research gaps in this musical but i get it's difficult especially if your only language is english

[mashkaroom]

Still not over this

[dreamcatcher-roulette]

Since I enjoy collecting things (big surprise) this year I've been working on collecting every Dreamcatcher music show performance in a quality that doesn't suck ass (aka not the seven pixels that YouTube compresses the official uploads down to). It went pretty well!

Pseudo research report under the cut (because I'm a massive nerd).

Scope

I started this project with the goal of collecting a full set of "music show performances". I didn't realise quite how ambiguous that definition is. After some deliberation I settled on the following as constituting "regular" performances:

Show Music Core

Inkigayo

The Show

Show Champion

M! Countdown

Music Bank

Simply K-Pop

Everything else I classified as misc. Most notably I left K-Force Special Show in the misc category despite there being quite a few performances on that show in the early days. This mostly came down to how I'm storing the files — I've organised the regular ones by era, but the K-Force Special Show performances frequently happened in between comebacks making them difficult to sort in that fashion. That and difficulties in ascertaining whether I do actually have all of them.

Methodology

The first step in collecting anything is finding out what you need to collect. I was surprised at how difficult it actually is to get a complete list of all of a group's music show performances. There are some fan sites which do a good job of presenting a lot of well categorised individual links to Dreamcatcher's appearances but I was hoping for something more "from the source" (aka the music shows themselves) and ideally machine readable to cross check that nothing is missing, since, for example, a collection of links to all official Inkigayo performance uploads is not a list of all Inkigayo performances (some never got official uploads). I ended up finding /r/kpop's music shows wiki fit my needs the most. The information is all in tables and sorted by music show and date which what I wanted.

Unfortunately, the main tables of /r/kpop's music show wikis only list debuts and comebacks, so I had to index and search all the individual pages to find what I was looking for. This involved spending a couple of afternoons opening up nearly 2,000 tabs of Reddit* and then downloading them using the SingleFile browser extension (Reddit rate limits you quite harshly and so I had to open a bunch of tabs, check they loaded, wait, and then repeat, which slowed it down a lot). While maybe a little overkill I did this for multiple reasons. Firstly, Reddit's search sucks, and I didn't trust it to find all instances of what I was looking for over so many pages. In contrast Everything's in-memory file content index beta is really good. But secondly, this is much more extensible, and now I can find any other group's performances as well (between 2017** and 2023).

*Reddit does not archive Simply K-Pop well at all (which caused some initial confusion), but the official Arirang website works fine as an alternative (albeit one that is somehow even slower than Reddit at opening new pages).

**Reddit's music show wiki pages start right before 2017. This is very convenient for a Dreamcatcher archivist, but, unfortunately for me, curiosity got the better of me and I did venture further out into the unknown. For 2014-2017 I have some scattered archives from various official websites, Twitter accounts, and Korean catch up services. I'm less confident in my music show data for this period in the general case but because the rough start and end dates for the two Minx promotion cycles are known I am confident enough that all the gaps I have in there are genuine gaps and that I'm not missing a performance date.

Once I had my wishlist I then had to go out and, you know, find them. And figure out what "best quality" actually means. I learned a lot about video encoding against my will. I also learned that HEVC is fucking haunted. When multiple sources were available I ranked them as follows:

2160p HEVC > 2160p h264 > 1080p HEVC (one weird edge case I didn't know what to do with) > 1080i h264 > 1080i MPEG2 > WEBDL (usually some kind of web livestream or online catch up service recording) > YouTube

Which I represented in my spreadsheet as:

This should be mostly uncontroversial, however, there is a slight complication in that the 4k broadcast copies are not all native 4k but often upscaled from the 1080 source (I can't find specifics on this as the information, if publicly accessible, would be in Korean, and there is only so much Google Translate can do, but the technical broadcasting details probably aren't public to the extend I am interested in regardless so I'm mostly basing this off information gleaned from secondary sources). As far as I can tell there exist two "grades" of upscales: one of which is upscaled by the network before being pushed out to a UHD channel, and one of which is upscaled by the end user by either recording a HD channel in 4k or running an existing recording through an upscaler. Traditionally upscales aren't very desirable due to providing no real material benefit you couldn't get from playing the 1080 copy on a 4k display yourself. Or, for people with an archival mindset like myself, because ones that actually look a bit crisper introduce "magic" pixels which may or may not have ever existed. See below for an example of this taken to the extreme (note the faces):

No one wants that, right? AND YET SOMEONE THOUGHT THAT WAS SUCH A BIG IMPROVEMENT THEY DELETED EVERYTHING ELSE, AND NOW IT REMAINS THE ONLY COPY I CAN FIND. Monsters!!! Anyway.

While upscales usually aren't desirable, I did come around to the idea that the network upscales deserve their place at the top of the list. There are a couple of points working in their favour: one is that they are, presumably, upscaled much more directly from the source, allowing them to avoid some of the data loss that being encoded into 1080i h264 and then upscaled would cause. The second is that quite a lot of them are encoded directly into HEVC, which makes the confetti and flashing lights look noticably smoother than the regular deinterlaced 1080i copies. Also, finally, as a touch of personal preference (especially in the case of 4k h264 where the second point doesn't apply), these do come pre-deinterlaced which is nicer for my chosen method of playback. Although some of those points apply to non network upscales too, the "impurity" of them far outweighs any benefit in my eyes, as I have more faith in whatever the network standard is than some random person on the internet trying to "fix" a file.

So how did I tell the difference? Also a frustratingly difficult problem, one which applies not just to spotting fake upscales but also to finding real TV recordings instead of lower quality catch up service clips. For the 1080 copies one of the biggest things was that the TV broadcast copies (unfortunately) always come through in 1080i. 1080p is suspicious. It means something has been touched (although sometimes in a way that is forgivable when nothing cleaner exists). File sizes are also a good sanity check. A single song in h264 should be in the 200-400MiB range, MPEG2 is 400MiB+. (For reference YouTube, and other inferior WEBDLs, usually come in at under 100MiB). This is a good reminder of why size does not always equal quality, because, in this scenario, worst to best is 100MiB < 450MiB < 250MiB.

On the 4k side: Music Bank, Show Music Core and Inkigayo are currently broadcast on UHD channels with a UHD variant of their channel names in the top right, which is a good indicator that something was recorded from a UHD source. (Although I've found 1080p copies recorded from UHD channels, so the presence of the logo doesn't mean no downscaling has occurred). Recent "4k" M! Countdown, Show Champion and The Show recordings, in comparison, appear identical in channel watermark to the 1080 copies. This and the fact that the only 4k copies I've found are from a source known to dabble in AI upscales means that I'm not going to trust these are genuine without further proof, and this was the main category of files which I decided against adding to my collection. (Note that The Show was in the past the only show that was broadcast in 4k, first on UMAX UHD and then on SBS F!L UHD, it is only recently that that seems to have stopped (or, no one has been recording it)). I paid less attention to the 4k file sizes than for 1080. 4k HEVC seems to come in pretty reliably at just under 1GiB, but 4k h264 is all over the place due to I think some differing quality profiles between uploaders (a range of 1GiB to nearly 3GiB). The latter is annoying because it means I can't figure out what the "true" recording should be, but I did develop an internal ranking of the trustworthiness of sources which was the tiebreaker when two differently sized 4k h264 recordings existed.

I prioritised collecting existing cuts where applicable (although many were not cut nearly as meticulously frame perfectly as I would like) but there were quite a few where I had to cut them out of full broadcast recordings myself. There were also instances where only the main performance was saved in 4k leaving interviews behind. In those cases I decided to keep the highest quality available for the bits in which it was and store the other segments separately.

Results

Alright, the fun stuff! I have successfully catalogued:

317 Dreamcatcher music show performances

34 Dreamcatcher miscellaneous appearances

46 Minx music show performances

16 Minx miscellaneous appearances

Those links go to mostly complete YouTube representations of what I found with exceptions listed in the descriptions of the playlists. You can also of course find a published version of my beautiful spreadsheet here. Finally, if you've made it this deep I would like to just quietly tell you I'm more than happy to share the originals, but please message me privately as I don't want to publicly host questionably copyrighted content on my good and morally upstanding posting images of dreamcatcher photobooks blog (for legal reasons the entire existence of this collection is a joke).

Honestly I'm pretty happy with the completeness of the collection after my first pass. The list of ones I would consider "missing" (aka not good enough quality) is:

It's almost all Simply K-Pop, which makes sense as it seems to not be archived with the same enthusiasm as the others. The missing M! Countdown, meanwhile, does kind of hurt, since it's ruining an otherwise perfect run. I'm out of ideas for now but am not going to give up on it forever, I have seen evidence that proper recordings exist, so I'm sure they have got to resurface eventually.

As can be seen in the breakdown for this section the percentage of MPEG2 recordings is also a pretty major victory, with the vast majority being h264:

For Minx things look a bit worse:

But then again I hadn't been expecting much to begin with. To be honest, watching all of these to check quality did drive me a little insane. There is a reason I don't own Love Shake and Why Did You Come To My Home, and it's not purely the irresponsible financial decision, it's the thought of spending that much money on something I actually really don't like. Watching Minx performances is amusing for a little while, but man, am I glad Dreamcatcher exists instead.

It's also evident that people were holding to completely different standards even just a few years earlier, as this is where all those MPEG2s in the overall numbers are hiding:

Future Work

While I'm confident I've successfully catalogued the "music show performances" as defined in the scope, I know there is still much more to be discovered under Misc Appearances, as those were filled in not via a predefined wish list but just by what other recordings I happened across in my search for the original goal. The obvious next step would to be a little more systematic about finding out what I'm missing in that category by scouring some Dreamcatcher specific archives, but because I've already exhausted the full collections of my two main sources of recordings I'm not confident I would uncover many more performances outside of YouTube in that way, which isn't really that appealing.

I'm probably more likely going to do something about my performance outfit images collection which has been slowly but steadily increasing over the years. I'd like to put them into a proper searchable database alongside performance dates, which would have a similar effect of cataloguing the missing performances, but with the visual element that the spreadsheet lacks.

But then again, I also might not :)

[thechaseofspades]

22, 49, & 75 [My Head is an Animal]

22: Are there certain types of writing you won't do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

You'll definitely never see anything sexually explicit or anything like that. I avoid swearing or really anything you wouldn't find in the source material. It's not that I'm against that kind of stuff, but just that A) I like to think of my writing as a somewhat realistic extension of the show itself, and B) I feel like I can tell meaningful stories without that. Not knocking anybody else for doing it, just that I won't be. That's just not how I roll.

49: Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

Fortunately I've never gotten any hate or anything close to it which is cool. I think if I did I would simply be sad at first but also remember how everyone else has been so nice for as long as I've been kicking around here. Hopefully that would make me feel better, because it usually does. The support I get far outweighs any hate I would hypothetically receive, both literally in magnitude and metaphorically in my heart.

75: What scene in [My Head is an Animal] took the longest to write? What was difficult about it?

I'll tell you what, "My Head is an Animal" was actually a really smooth process writing-wise. I'd wanted to write an aroace Violet story (codenamed: "Violet Sabrewing Solo Project", which was meant to be about Violet treating herself like a research project), but once I decided that OMAM would be the vehicle, it all just kinda came to me. I cranked it out in like 12 days -- for reference, I've been working on the sequel for a couple months now with multiple rewrites. And I think the reason it came so naturally was because I was writing from the heart. "My Head" Violet is the closest thing to a self-insert you'll probably ever see from me, because a lot of her struggles and insecurities were inspired by things I've said and felt in my own experiences. I knew exactly what I wanted to write and how I wanted to write it pretty much the whole way.

From an execution standpoint, I will say that the music integration was somewhat difficult. It was a balance that didn't always work out. Sometimes I would write until I ran out of words and pick up the lyrics where it leaves off. Other times, I wanted specific parts of the songs to be highlighted, which meant I would have to shrink well-written paragraphs to fit into a tighter window, or otherwise ramble to fill in the gap until the next clip. I don't think it had too much of an impact on the story or pacing or flow or anything like that, but in the process it definitely shaped my style.

Thanks for the ask!

[jadesharni-blog]

DESIGN THINKING & INNOVATION

Week 1

This week we were introduced to basic practices of design thinking and innovation in both a theoretical and hands-on approach. Our tutorial consisted of us making a drawn diagram that explained how to toast bread. The idea is that this visual representation could bridge the language gap and therefore anyone from anywhere would be able to read the diagram and use a toaster.

Week 2

This week we were introduced to what will become our major assignment task for the next 12 weeks - our wicked problem. We were put into groups by writing our name, degree and major on a piece of paper and scrambling them all around on a table making groups of roughly 5-6 people. Each group had at least one (if not more) student from all sections of the creative industries to ensure that we could spread our skills around the classroom. My group chose to tackle the Lake Macquarie Museum wicked problem. This consisted of finding a way to bring youth (people from 18 - 25) back into the museum. We chose this because we found it to be the most appealing of the 10+ problems. It seems that most of our class will also be choosing this problem and I have a feeling we’ll struggle to find ideas that aren't duplicated around the classroom which will make the process harder. However, I also think we’ll all be able to bounce ideas off of other groups which is a definite advantage.

Week 3

This week we solidified our choice of problem (Lake Macquarie Museum) and began talking about our ideas and assigning ourselves and our group members roles. We also got to know our group members and spoke about our strengths and weaknesses. My group consists of 6 people including two other music students (Bailey & Josh) and three visual arts & design students (Arriane, Alina & Elliot). I believe we'll all be able to work well together as it seems that everyone is excited to bring what they can to the table. We had a lot of ideas bouncing all over the place but one that really stuck was Arrianes idea of creating a calendar with 4 different events targeted at our age group.

Our current tasks and roles:

4x events - Jade, Bailey, Alina & Josh

Transport - EveryonE

Calendar & Social Media Promotion - Elliot & Arriane

Our Events

Queer Focus - Drag Shows (Bailey)

Environmental Sustainability - Climate change art competitions (Jade)

Music/Arts - Live music events (Josh)

Culture - Indigenous Focus (Alina)

Week 4

This week we were introduced to something called an empathy map. We all got pieces of paper with a diagram that we filled out with the pros and cons of our ideas. Ours was especially difficult because we have so many ideas of ways to overcome our wicked problem. Through using this map we realised that we really need to narrow down and consolidate all the events and sustainability projects we've come up with. If we’re unable to do this I fear we’ll be biting off way more than we can chew. We also began a powerpoint slideshow for our first presentation in week 7. The idea is that everyone will have access to it and can curate their own slides during the next three weeks. Below is a picture of the empathy map!

Week 5

Unfortunately I missed our tutorial in week 5 due to illness. However, I spent some time this week researching my event and I’m very excited for how it’s coming along! I’m doing an Environmental Art Competition for people between the ages of 12 - 25. The idea for this event came after reading the Principles of Sustainable Design (Energy & Engineering n.d.) Principles of Sustainable Design. I’m hoping to create an event that can give back to the environment in some way and maintain ethical sustainability goals whilst simultaneously enticing our audience to come to Lake Macquarie and participate.  

Week 6

This week we began finalising our events and organisation for our presentation. I’m beginning to get slightly frustrated with certain members of our group. It seems like some people aren’t really starting or completing fundamental elements of our project. I think I’m going to take on a larger role then I’d previously committed to, but I’m happy to do this. I’m unsure of how to go about asking my team members if they are going to complete their roles as I don’t want to step on any toes or be overbearing. I’ve looked into a couple of resources (listed below) on how to manage collaborative group projects and I think I’m going to try out some of the ideas I’ve found. Essentially, I’m going to contact my team members and ask them if they are able to complete their work in time and if they aren’t I will offer to complete it for them. I don’t think it will be a big deal if I do this as the tasks will only take a couple of hours and I have the time. In the future I’m excited to rewrite our roles and ask people to be as honest as they can about how much work they’re willing to put into the project and to choose roles that excite them. I think it will make everyone more motivated if they’re doing something they’re passionate about.

References for this week include:

https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/groupwork

https://educationaltechnologyjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-021-00259-w

https://ucsd.libguides.com/CAT3/group-projects

Week 7

This week we all presented our projects! My group presented last and went way overtime - 5 minutes too long!! But I was honestly expecting this to happen as we hadn’t rehearsed and there were group members having to speak about work that wasn’t their own. So, naturally, it was quite chaotic. In saying that however, I do believe that we did the best with what we had and each group member presented well … it just didn’t blend cohesively or collaboratively and seemed like individual presentations rather than a group effort. Below is the first page of our powerpoint presentation.

Week 8

This week I came to class quite late and only arrived just when our groups were presenting what they’d done in class. It seems that mini presentations will be an almost weekly occurrence in this class and I’m grateful for the experience we will build in public speaking. Presenting for my peers is honestly quite a terrifying experience for me and I’d assume at least half of our class feels the same way so I’m glad that we’re getting small doses of it every week. It’s kind of like exposure therapy. As I didn’t have any input in what my group created, they presented without me. They’d made lego figurines of our events, the transport we’d need and buildings we’d be hosting in and drawn a map of the Lake Macquarie Museum. They then proceeded to move the pieces around the makeshift map to explain how customers would interact with our events. I thought this was a great way to visually show our idea whilst highlighting the things that wouldn’t work logistically. This week I also found out that I’ll be going away to Mexico for a couple of weeks and won’t be back until our final presentation. I’m going to be missing two lessons but I’ve spoken to my group about it and they all seem ok with me going as long as I can work with them remotely. Pictured below is the map my group members created.

Week 9

This week we spent time further analysing our project to see where the cracks were. This was honestly a pretty intense week for my group as we were all over the place! During class we did an experiment using the rose, buds and thorns design thinking prototype to see where we were at. This was an amazing way for our group to really dive into what wasn’t working. When we presented our findings at the end of the lesson we were still all very confused about what we were actually making… We were pretty much disagreeing with each other during the presentation! After class we all went to a cafe and really spoke about what wasn’t working. This meeting we had was absolutely fundamental to our progression and development in the course. We were able to get onto the same page and decided that we were creating a 3 month long campaign with 5 different events occurring consistently. I ended up picking up another event (our Women In Music program) because there were some gaps in our quarterly calendar plan that needed filling. We also redid our roles with each of us taking on more responsibility. We spoke about our feedback from the last presentation and found a way around the problems we had in week 7. A major flaw we had was just the general confusion and chaos when we presented and I think a way around this would be to have one designer for everything we needed. Last time I did the powerpoint presentation at the last minute because so many slides were unfinished and lacked cohesion. This time we decided Alina would do the design for the powerpoint so that it maintained the same visual elements. She’s also a design student and I am definitely not. I’m feeling good about where we’re at and proud of my group for being able to have difficult discussions about our roles and responsibilities. The quote and reference link below is a great example of what we achieved this week! I think moving forward will be easier and more enjoyable for everyone.

“​​Every team has a goal, a direction. A north star to march toward with intention and strategy. Teams can’t be successful without knowing what they’re setting out to achieve.”

https://www.betterup.com/blog/improve-team-dynamics

Our Roles:

Powerpoint Presentation Design - Alina

Social Media Design & Promotion - Elliot & Arriane

Head Designer - Elliot

Transport - Jade & Arriane

Funding & Grants - Bailey

Calendar - Jade

Video - Josh & Arriane

Research & Surveys - Jade & Bailey

Women In Music Event - Jade

Indigenous Outreach Program - Alina

Fuse - Josh

Drag Trivia - Bailey

Environmental Art Competitions - Jade

Below is a picture of our rose, buds & thorns exercise.

Design Thinking is essentially a set of techniques for participant observation: find some people, spend some time with them, develop some ideas for them or preferably with them, try those ideas out on them.

Week 10

During this week we redid our user journey map and spoke mostly about transport and human interactive design. I made a quick survey with 10-12 questions regarding which events people would be most interested in, what methods of transport they would use to get to those events and some questions about their age, location and livelihood. This will hopefully help us discern which events will occur the most and how people will get there. Although I believe Fuse and a charter bus will probably garner the highest results, we have to test our theories on the public to keep us in line with the human interactive design methods we’ve been learning. The quote above from ‘A Primer for Playtesting’ (2016) by Zimmermen & Pozzi explains the need for our survey. Below is a picture of our user journey map. 

Week 11

This week I was in Mexico! I thought that I’d be able to join my group via zoom for our lesson but I was unfortunately still in transit so I don’t have much to add in regards to the lesson. However, I have been doing some remote work and have found a bus company that would be willing to provide transport for our events. Because it will be occurring over a three month period, the price is dramatically lower and will be feasible if we find the right grant. A link to that company is here. https://www.buscharter.com.au

Week 12

This week I joined my group via facetime! I am getting slightly stressed about not being there to help them more but I think everythings going well. Unfortunately the survey I made a few weeks ago can only hold 10 responses before the program closes. Luckily Bailey will be posting a new one. I spent this lesson curating the results from the first survey and writing a google doc with all the questions I had for my team members to create another survey for us. For the most part, my work is done for this project. Our transport, survey questions, calendar dates, Women In Music Event & Environmental Art Exhibition have all been completed and I’m happy with how they’re looking. I’m going to continue checking in with my group to see if I can be of assistance while overseas.  

Week 13

This week was our final presentation and, personally, I think we did incredibly well. I was immensely proud of my team members, it seemed like everyone pulled their weight and did their part! Alina’s design for the powerpoint presentation was exceptional and the social media and promotion team really stepped up. Like everything else we’ve done, it was slightly chaotic. This was due to me messing up my flight dates and arriving in Sydney airport three hours before we were presenting. My group members were extremely understanding and ended up waiting for me so we could present together. I came in at the very last minute which would honestly rock any group but I think we did really well under the circumstances! I know it probably seemed like a lot but I didn’t want to let my team down by making someone else present on my behalf. I felt like we’d worked too hard as a team for me to turn around and tell them I wouldn’t be there. I am super grateful to everyone for pulling it all together. As for our presentation, we spoke about everything to do with our three month campaign. Including all five events, self promotion & social media, style guides and sample posts, transport options, our promotional video and an introduction to who we are individually and what roles we play. Our presenting skills had improved a lot since last time and I believe this is because we all had a better understanding of what we were doing. We did a good job delegating ourselves roles that we actually cared about and this made everyone passionate about their contribution. Overall this course has been a massive learning experience. As a music student, I went into it thinking I wasn’t going to get anything out of it. However, I have learnt so much about design thinking and collaboration. Including how to cater to the needs of our intended audience through different design thinking methods, how to curate events and think outside of the box and, especially, how to work cohesively and collaboratively within a team. I think I will be using a lot of these skills in the future.

Remaining References

(Liedtke 2018) Design for sustainability

(Energy & Engineering n.d.) Principles of Sustainable Design

(Papanek 1973) Do-it-yourself murder: the social and moral responsibilities of the designer

(Zimmerman & Pozzi 2016) Donʼt follow these rules! A Primer for Playtesting

(Esposito 2018) 4 types of research methods all designers should know

[kelitasbrazilianlitblog]

Reflections on a Year of Reading Brazilian Literature 

Titles Read:

Family Gap Year by Sheila Maloney

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

When told to choose a country to further read about, the first thing that came to mind was Brazil. I heard many people were choosing countries they would like to visit or any exciting country. Not me though, I went a completely different route. I chose my home country, the place in which I was born. I've come to learn that Brazil is the biggest country in South America and one of the most diverse. I am from a small area and frankly didn't know much about my culture. I was born in Brazil but came to America when I was 2, some may even argue I'm Americanized. Brazil has a rich literary tradition that flows from realism, family drama, poetry, music, and all the way to nonfiction. Reading these books allowed me to get a feel of what it was like to live in Brazil, somewhere I call home but don't consider home.

From Maloney's book Family Gap Year, I got to experience the nonfiction aspect of Brazilian culture. Sheila Maloney was born in Sao Paulo, a state pretty far from mine. I got a perception from a side in Brazil I never got the chance to learn about.  Maloney talked a lot about how she was Brazilian but felt disconnected from her culture, she was longing for that Brazilian cultural identity. When moving to Brazil for a year, Maloney and her family lived carefree, she described it as “a life of  greater freedom and simplicity.” Brazilians live a simple life, school isn't strongly enforced, everyone is basically neighbors and they all get along. She also described her experience as “creating a sustainable, happy future” for her family. In Brazil there are so many cities you can visit, each day was a new adventure for them. Brazil is a place you can live carefreely and basically have the liberty to do as you wish. Brazil makes you feel “connected in nature” as Sheila describes it. Most forms of getting around include walking, but biking is very common as well. With high prices, it is difficult for someone to simply go out and buy a car. Overall, this book gave me the sense that Brazil is a country that makes you feel free, liberated, and in control of your life. In Brazil, you choose your way of living, and no standards are put above your head.

In Paulo Coelho's novel The Alchemist, Coelho focuses more so on love, passion, and somewhat religion. This book was set in Egypt so the only reflection I could go back to is the author's way of writing. This book was somewhat written with a more complex vocabulary. The book had a deeper meaning about love and finding yourself. The theme of this book would be pursuing one's calling or finding one's “Personal Legend.” Santiago was on a journey to not only find himself but to live out his dreams and find the pyramids, but along the way he happened to find love. I didn't think religion was a big thing in Brazil but after reading this novel I went to do some research. Catholicism is one of the most common religions in Brazil. Almost 65% of Brazilians practice Catholicism. With this novel, I gained the overall knowledge of passion, not only with love but with dreams, beliefs, and religion.

Both The Alchemist and  Family Gap Year had a common theme of finding yourself or being yourself without the expectations of others. Others should not impose their own perception when it comes to you finding your true self.  The way you live should not be influenced by the opinions of other people.

Family Gap Year by Sheila Mahoney taught me so many valuable lessons. Mahoney was big on living your life and not listening to others. Towards the beginning of the story, Sheila had so many people advising her not to take the gap year, even knowing it was in her family's best interest. She made a good point when she said the environment and people she was surrounding herself with were keeping her from achieving her goals. This made me realize that not everyone around you wants the best for you. It is always the ones closest to you that pray for your downfall. Oftentimes we surround ourselves with people who have different morals and values than us. Who we surround ourselves with is who we slowly become. Whether we want it or not, people will slowly influence and try to change us. I also learned that we control our life, we have the power to change our future. The world puts this perception that our life is controlled by fate and “whatever happens, happens” but that's not the case. What happens is controlled by our actions. If we change now, the outcome of our future will change as well. We have full control of our life, future, and the decisions we make. One thing is for sure, anything can happen if we set our mind to it and block all distractions.

In Paulo Coelho's novel The Alchemist, a big lesson I have learned is the process of finding yourself. Santiago's adventure was solely based on finding himself without the interference of others. It was all about exploring and pursuing one calling without letting the expectations of others impose on your own. It wasn't as straightforward to understand but one thing was made clear, “we have to be prepared for change.” We don't know what will happen during the day or the future but all we can do is prepare. Coelho taught me to prepare for any situation. Santiago was not looking for love when going on his adventure, that was before he crossed paths with Fatima. This was not only a physical journey for Santiago but a spiritual one as well. He was in a spiritual battle because things weren't going the way he wished they would. There were times when Santiago questioned God's plan, even so, Coelho wrote “he wept because God was unfair, and because this was the way God repaid those who believed in their dreams.” I am pretty religious and this is a thought that always comes to mind. The outcome made me realize that God's silence is preparing and structuring us for the future. Not everything that comes our way is God sent, some things are distractions that take away from what is to come.

Reading both these novels made me realize I prefer fictional stories, I prefer to read about made-up situations with life lessons. The Alchemist was fiction but the life lessons instilled in that story came across strongly. I had something in common with the characters in both stories, this is also something I enjoyed. I loved reading about Sheila's journey and being able to relate to the Brazilian culture she talked about. From the common food she cooked to the cities she visited. I loved understanding what she was talking about, this left no room for confusion. Sheila had life values in common with the ones I have, and this made me feel like I was being understood. Paolo Coelho's story made me realize I am big on life lessons. I pick out every little thing and read deeper into it. I read between the lines, I believe everything can be taken as a lesson. I can proudly say I've learned so much from reading two simple books.

[lulumusicwaterbear]

Term 1 14/11 - 18/11

Performance:

This week we did Ain't It Fun by Paramore. I really loved performing this song because of the gospel aspects it has and the atmosphere the song creates. I decided I really wanted to do a lot of crowd interaction which on the day was really helpful as I was having a bad day with my asthma so it gave me a chance to breathe but not hurt the performance aspect. For my summative I would feel a lot more comfortable with an audience there in my opinion as it gives me someone to perform to rather than not knowing where to look and feeling discouraged. As I know I won't have an audience I'm going to pretend that there's an audience there to make myself feel more confident or I'm going to choose an object to perform to so I have a spot I can look to and not feel unsure of myself.

Techniques:

I found that the majority of the song felt comfortable in my mixed range and I wasn't trying too hard to push myself but I struggled a lot with the starting note because I kept getting stuck in my head about where my placement was and feeling insecure about whether or not I could do it. I found I had to getup of my own way and just force it out without focusing too much on how it felt and that's when I found I could hit it easily. For the summative I'm going to have to try and remain calm before we record or I'll get in my head and it will make it a lot worse so I've researched different calming techniques. I've made a habit of before performing shaking my hands out as a way to visualise shaking out the nerves but I found in my research that the physicality actually helps release endorphins making it easier to perform and avoid nervousness. I also researched tips for performing with asthma but I wasn't able to find much other than make sure you have your pump and stay hydrated.

Summative Assignment:

This week I was able to finish my instrumental. I decided to go through and adjust the automation as my midi keyboard is extremely touch sensitive so I was struggling to get the volume to stay consistent. In the future I'd find a flat surface or try and play with the same amount of force every time simply because going through every note with automation is very time consuming and difficult to sound fluid. Once the instrumental was recorded I researched and experimented with different plug ins to get the same effects as the original track. I used a wave space EQ which logic already had to give it a more suspenseful atmosphere and fill any gaps between sections there might have been. I also experimented with a new EQ plug recommended in my research for the strings to make them blend more but I found this one wasn't as effective because of how the strings were recorded and the wide range of string instruments so I decided to stay with my original EQ. Later on in the week I started to plan what I wanted my staging to look like. As far as positions and spacing, there's not a lot of room to work with and we only have 20 minutes so I decided to keep everyone in their usual places but I wanted to move the keyboard sideways to give Ela more room on stage and so it doesn't distract the audience as it's not an important part of the performance itself. I knew I wanted dark blue lighting to bring a more ominous feel to the quiet sections and make it look more apocalyptic and gloomy. I didn't want the staging to get too boring however so during the heavy instrumental parts I decided to have them flash between a cool blue and a soft red to add an urgency and uncomfortable juxtaposition between the slow calm section and the loud hard sections. I also wanted the lighting to not clash with any clothing so I asked everyone to wear black for the performance and to show the grief. I took inspiration from some of Deftones stages such Change (in the house of flies) so I can stay original to the track but I also took inspiration from KARDI's cover of Legends Never Die from the tv show SUPERBAND as they have similar contrasting sections and make it peaceful and cold during the quieter sections but still have high energy and a rage to them in the harder sections. In my opinion lighting is important when thinking of staging because if the lighting doesn't fit the mood of the song it can make it really confusing for the audience and also change the whole meaning of the song in some cases. It also makes it harder for the performers to portray the emotion of the song as every colour is unconsciously associated with feelings and experiences in our minds. This is also proven in the article "The Importance Of Light And Sound" (Powers, 2022)

[ji-yaaan]

I feel like ordering something hot for this cold weather, hi, hi, is it okay if I ask for a lemon tea? Extra hot, please, I'm freezing. Leona, Octavinelle x MC, first french kiss because french kisses are good, and perhaps some hands involved, no one can resist french kisses' effects 🤭 Thank youuuuuuuu.

°•°•°•𝓢𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓽 𝓚𝓲𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓼•°•°•°

HC's with: Jade, Floyd, Azul, and Leona

WARNING!!!!!! Suggestive content, French kissing, mild spice ;)

Note: I'm late to requests what's new?😔 I am dying as I write this and the adrenaline in my system is ✨thriving✨ Go and live the horni dream as you read this crappy hc I guess? eHeM sElF iNseRt tiMe- hope you enjoy this hotass tea.😔✨

[ 𝙻𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚎𝚊: 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 ]

°•°•°•𝓙𝓪𝓭𝓮 𝓛𝓮𝓮𝓬𝓱 •°•°•°

A kiss with jade was always short and sweet. A peck on the cheek, a peck on the lips..... How delicious...

But those "little kisses" weren't really enough to feed this eel for long. (・////・)

As time passes by, the sweet temptation from a lick of your lips sets his mind to a frenzy. He'd want to pull you for a deep long kiss, but he promised that he'd take it slow... Goodness you were such a tease...

Normally he'd just settle with kissing the back of your hand before a goodbye, or an occasional kiss on the lips when you tug on his blazer... But today, it seems as if this desires has took a hold of himself...

Sitting by the tables at the Mostro Lounge, you tugged on the end of his coat before you said your goodbyes...

Expecting for a sweet peck on the lips, Jade leans down your sitting figure instead... Ohoಠ ͜ʖ ಠ

His tall figure looming over yours with an intensive gaze as if he's ready to devour you any moment.

Let's be real here, You're probably frozen on the spot and you don't know what to do or what to say, thus you just go blushy blushy under Jade's gaze... Same tho ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ

With the awkward silence as the two of you were alone in the lounge, the scarlet tint of your flushed cheeks just fuels Jade's desire more and more... My now, don't you just know how to push his buttons quite well?

In a flash of a second, everything goes black as Jade's lips collides with yours, unlike the usual comforting kisses... This one was... Hot...

Jade's tongue will gladly explore the deep depths of you. The kiss would definitely be long leaving you breathless. Take it or leave it( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

This being your first very very intimate moment, breathing through the messy kisses was difficult... But this eel just has a sadistic side to him enjoying your little squirms and embarrassment under his hold.

After the kiss, he loves admiring your flushed face with trails of saliva running down the corners of your mouth.

"Y/n my love, swallow it."

Maybe it was the dim lights and the slow music that played on the background, but a glint of lust sparkled in Jade's eyes with your reflection...( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

"Let me see... Good girl~"

Just like that with his usual foxy smile, don't be surprised if your knees were to give up later ಠ﹏ಠ

°•°•°•𝓕𝓵𝓸𝔂𝓭 𝓛𝓮𝓮𝓬𝓱•°•°•°

Oh Floyd... Ok, I'll make life easier for you and give you a summary of his Hc: "Pls pin me down and dominate me. Thanks"

Floyd's kisses were always unexpected; A pleasant surprise if you will.

Floyd's mood swings can sometimes go higher than a rollercoaster, or lower than my grades, but by the end of the day, he comes in refuge in your arms asking for all of your love and attention.(´ω｀)

But sometimes, his affection for you maybe goes a little bit too much. From a cute sweet kiss, it quickly escalates to something more...lustful...◕‿◕

From a warm hug and sweet kiss, now you're pinned down on the couch as Floyd attacks your neck with multiple kisses leaving a trail of bruises and saliva.

Now comes the fun part. Floyd being Floyd, his hands may get touchy. Like, a whole lot.

Be it with his hands sliding past your shirt or pants, or him constantly removing parts of your clothes one by one. ಠ‿ಠ

He's the type to hold up your wrists together so you can't move, and watch your pretty little face squirming and struggling until you beg for more kisses.

Down from your neck, moving his way up to your lips, a sudden entrance in your mouth will caught you by surprise as Floyd devours you on the spot. (✿^‿^)

His kisses were deep and long, his tongue explores every inch of your mouth.

You have to admit. Floyd's tongue is quite skilled, in fact very skilled.

With Floyd's deep and long kisses, It surely does get hard to breathe with drools dripping from the corners of you mouth.

But the moment he pulls back, the image of you all messed up and all the darkened hickeys on your neck fills him up with excitement! ಡ ͜ ʖ ಡ

The drools staining your chin as you breathe heavily under his hold does a lot to him.

Both you will definitely be a mess after this.

"Ahh~ Koebi-chan, look what you've done to me~"

Yeah... I'll leave that sentence to your imagination( ╹▽╹ )

•°•𝓐𝔃𝓾𝓵 𝓐𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓻𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓸 •°•

oH yEs I'vE bEeN wAiTiNg lOnG fOr oCtObOy- ehem( ͡°ᴥ ͡° )

Azul is not the sweetest person to ask for a kiss, but when he's jealous however... That's a different story... ಠωಠ

He might ask you to sit on his lap while he works, of course who are you to decline the sweet offer of cuddling up to Azul? But it seems as if a cuddle is not something he's asking for...

While his pen glides on the papers at the desk, his face will make it's way in the crook of your neck.

Please remove his glasses for him and stare deeply in his eyes, he finds that very sweet! (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)

Azul loves to savor your sweet scent that gets him excited everytime. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Azul definitely finds a vocal partner a turn on, hearing your beautiful whimpers are music to his ears after all. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)♡

Trailing butterfly kisses in the nape of your neck, making his way to kissing your jawline.

After all of that hot stuff, he'll carry you to the sofa and sit you on top of him. Oho it's getting fun ಠ ͜ʖ ಠ

One hand supporting your waist, while the other hold unto your cheek. Azul diving for a hungry kiss with you.

Azul will try his best to take the lead and control the situation. He did his research afterall.

A deep kiss closing the gap between you was the best reassurance he has that you're his and his alone.

Please hold unto his shoulders for support and pull on his hair!!! Octoboi finds it hot heh-

With the kiss being deep and long, it will get hard to breathe. So after pulling away from the kiss, the hot breaths and saliva mixed together was quite the hot mess.

You can imagine Azul out of breath as he licks his lips staring directly at you.(•///•)

"Y/N... You're mine."

Eye contact... It's all about the eye contact that melts your insides when you look at Azul... AZUL WITHOUT GLASSES!

If you blush at his remarks, you get bonus points because Azul lovessss seeing you embarrassed~ ಠ﹏ಠ

Say "I love you" and you have Azul as putty under your hold~

Oh! and when you say I love you, Azul will definitely get flushed red to his ears and neck so... Teasing time hehe~ bully the octopie with love!

OCTOSQUID IN MAFIA SUIT I LOVE YOU SM I CAN'T EVEN- ok I'll shut up I'm sorry about that

•°•𝓛𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓪 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼𝓬𝓱𝓸𝓵𝓪𝓻 •°•

First of all, I can guarantee that the first french kiss with Leona will happen after a fight...ಠωಠ

After a fight of pride with Leona, sexual tension is through the roof! Glaring at each other, no signs of giving up as both of you are on each other's neck... Leona finds that hot ಠ‿ಠ

Leona won't admit to it, but having a fiesty partner that challenges him and puts him on edge was hot... In fact, very very hot...

Of course it's annoying at first, but seeing your furrowed eyebrows as you push your hair back in frustration does something to him (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

Leona finds attraction in high sexual tension, So let's say you're about to flip and your face goes a little bit too close to his... He'd take that as an open invitation to shut you up.

My, don't be surprised if a pair if lips started to kiss yours desperately. Pulling unto your waist as his other hands hold your chin up to face him, the kisses were messy, but it was exciting.

Ngl Leona's tongue can win a talent show with his top notch skills.

He'll gladly explore every inch of your mouth with pleasure ಡ ͜ ʖ ಡ

Oh, kissing with Leona gets pretty touchy too! His hands will wander under your shirt unto your back, maybe even lower if he feels extra curious today-ಠ◡ಠ

Please pull unto his hair, he finds that really hot too.

Expect low growls to bless your ears here and there... ಠ ͜ʖ ಠ

Oh! Sometimes Leona may get a little too touchy, so I guess you have to have the control to stop him if you don't like that. I doubt it tho( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

But if you're into those freaky stuff, Leona will gladly go on an adventure with you down there( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

After the kiss, don't be surprised if you find love bites here and there, better cover up since it's a lot...

Oh, but it's no use to cover up since this cat boy happens to be an exhibit artist that loves to show off his work staining your neck purple.

What a way to come back with something like this amirite? Heh🤠

ALSO, AZUL BRAIN ROT IS REAL- MALLEUS' SPOT IS THREATENED AS MY LOVE FOR OCTOPIE GROW- send help😭😭😭😭😭

Azul I want your kneecaps🤭

[zoobus]

Online Socializing and Distraction Masterpost

You're bored, you're lonely, you’re an extrovert and social distancing sounds like hell on earth, you're not sure you can handle what feels like endless isolation - I get it and I want to help. This list is broken into two sections: Free for your own use and Free if your library offers it. I am not posting anything that requires money to use (excluding the cost of streaming services for those programs), so you will not see any of the endless extended free trials companies have been throwing out - If you're interested in such a list, go here, here, and here. And Comixology. Free to Use: -twoseven.xyz - RIP Rabbit 😢 Now that that’s out of the way, I know some of you gave up on a replacement - Kast sucked, half the replacements were broken, no one filled the gap. However, after several months of tv watching with friends, I can say twoseven is the most expansive and functional tv sharing site I’ve found. Everyone can pause, play, rewind, etc without it getting out of sync (unless your interenet is really bad) All your friends will need to install the app, it gets funky when using Netflix and Hulu, and I’ve occassionally had issues using it with Firefox, but otherwise it works. -Netflix Party - If Netflix is your main, this is your app. Unlike Twoseven, you can set up audio chat, if that’s something you want. HOWEVER, unlike twoseven, you all need a Netflix account. No free riders here :( *At the time of this post, it’s currently having issues with the latest version, with plans to drop a fixed release by Tuesday. -Disboard and Discord.me - You’re probably already aware of Discord, have an account, maybe a couple servers you’re active in. It can be difficult finding a quality server with both good members and subject you’re interested in - these two are better at finding such servers than Discord’s Discovery feature or hoping one of your mutuals reads your desperate telepathic pleas to give an invite. -Discord - Again, you all likely know of Discord as a socializing platform. It’s been gradually improving its video chat and video share features, letting you and your friends talk while you show off your game/movie/hentai/whatever. It’s at the bottom of the list because I found it to be the spottiest of all the media group share software. -Roll20 - Maybe you’ve always been curious about tabletop games, maybe all your interested friends are in different timezones. VERY useful if you have zero interest in keeping track of numbers or doing the math yourself. Recommend playing using with Discord’s voice chat.

-Facetime, Houseparty, Hangouts, Duo, WhatsApp - None of these are linked since there’s various platforms you can download them on, but basically if you want to video chat - especially with multiple people - these are the most popular. I do not like video chatting so I cannot/will not vouch for any. Make on-nomi a thing and have a drinking party. -Exercise Playlist - Gyms are closed and going outside is currently being discouraged. Don’t give up!

Free to Use IF Your Library Holds a Subscription Your library probably offers a lot of online services outside of ebooks. Their list can likely be found on their website or by searching “[your local/county library] eCollection”or “[your local/county library] online resources.” These are a few yours might subscribe to, but if they don’t you can always make a request:

-Libby and Overdrive - Libby is the app for OverDrive. Read ebooks and listen to audiobooks from your library’s OverDrive collection on mobile using Libby. -RBDigital - Primarily provides a wide variety of magazines in a few languages, but offers some ebooks and audiobooks as well. -PressReader - All the newspapers you can read. If you’re constantly frustrated by paywalls, check whether this is available to you. -Kanopy - On-demand streaming video platform for public libraries and universities that offers films and documentaries, plus a kids’ section. Hey, guess which site has Moonlight, Midsommar, and m’big brain stuff showing, that’s right, Kanopy

-Hoopla - Another public library database - movies, music, audiobooks, ebooks, comics, and TV shows. Its selection is smaller than Libby/Overdrive, but there’s no holds and no waiting, just read that book. -Lynda - Yeah yeah, learn a skill. More importantly, play around and find an interest. Maybe you’ll like Unity, maybe you’re curious if any marketing tips could apply to your ao3 fic. -Freegal - Unlimited music streaming, download 5 DRM-free songs per week. -Mango Languages - Online learning program for over 70 languages and growing. Do it if you’re tired of being threatened by the duolingo bird. -Bookflix - Scholastic made their book fair online. For the kids. -Consumer Reports - An American nonprofit organization dedicated to unbiased product testing, investigative journalism, consumer-oriented research, public education, and consumer advocacy. Useful for making big purchases, though not as high profile as it used to be.

And that’s all I’ve got! Hope at least one person finds it useful.

[cheri-translates]

Interviews with the Chinese VAs

English translations of the interviews from the MLQC Weibo page! Little hints of what we can look forward to in the anime 🥰

1. Wu Lei (voice of Victor / Li Ze Yan)

Q: How did you feel when you found out MLQC was getting an anime adaptation?

A: Pleasantly surprised. After hoping for such a long time, the MLQC game has finally turned into an animation. I’m incredibly happy. A lot of notable scenes will appear in the anime. 

Q: How was your experience voicing the animation? 

A: We know how Victor has the nickname "Normal Citizen Victor”. In the animation, a lot of little moments in his life and his interactions will be fleshed out. Look forward to discovering them. 

As an animation, there will be differences from the game. In the game, the plot reveals itself gradually over several chapters. In the animation, the pace is more close-knit. So it will help you quickly understand what’s happening in MLQC.

Whether you like the anime or the game, you will discover new moments in the animation which will help you enjoy MLQC even more. 

Apart from that, I think Victor has a very amazing power. I’ve mentioned this on various occasions. Time-control. It can be used for saving the world, and also for dating. Such an amazing ability... oh god, can I have it too?

More perspectives can be presented through animation. Whether it’s in the past, present or future, just as Victor says, he is destined to be drawn to you.

Q: Will Victor be as critical in the animation?

A: Don’t you all like being criticised by Victor? Do you like it? Really?

Victor is an extremely sweet person. I did record a lot of “dummy”s for the animation. But we know that every “dummy” from him is not meant to scold you, but... I’ll leave the rest of the sentence for all the Mrs Li’s to leave in the comment section.

Q: Do you have any final words to say to all the producers?

A: I hope all of you can continue walking alongside Victor. No matter what you see Victor doing in the animation, don’t worry too much. Just relax and be his dummy. 

~

2. Xia Lei (voices Lucien / Xu Mo)

Q: How did you feel when you found out MLQC was getting an anime adaptation?

A: Extremely happy. MLQC has had a big influence on my work and life. Being able to let a larger audience know about it makes me happy. With this anime adaptation, the audience will no longer be confined to just players of the game, but also to people who like 2D animation.

It’s almost the fourth year that I’ve been involved in MLQC. This production has had a major influence on my life. I hope, with my hard work, that MLQC will continue to expand in the future, and that I can continue this journey.

Q: How was your experience voicing the animation?

A: There’s quite a big difference between voicing the game and the animation. 

The game tends to present specific words, specific scenes, and specific locations. It can’t present things as meticulously as in animation.

A simple example would be how we know Lucien is an amazing researcher who has profound knowledge. We can show this ability very clearly in the animation when he talks about science. But we can’t put all these words into the game.

There is very large script for the animation, so it’s a little more difficult. There are more words. So you will get to interact with Lucien and know him better. Perhaps you will have a deeper understanding of Lucien too. 

In the game, there are a lot of nice angles and actions. But when it comes to things like his gait, they are more thoroughly presented in the animation. Animation fills in a lot of gaps of how we imagine these actions to look like. How does he walk? How does he take up his cup to drink? How does he prop up his spectacles? You can find the answers in the animation.

There are other differences in terms of artistic presentation. The music in the animation follows the plot closely, and is more meticulous. 

You’ll be able to better experience a living Professor Lucien.

Q: Will we get to see Ares?

A: This... I personally feel that even if you want to be spoiled, you should find the answer in the anime. I believe the anime will present a thorough story to you.

The people closer to Lucien, like his students, will definitely appear.

Being able to see these characters animated is something I’ve always anticipated. When I first started voicing Lucien, I felt the plot was very good, that the characters were done very meticulously, and that it would be nice if they could be presented in another form.

Back then, I didn’t say anything because I knew that animation was expensive [laughs]. So being able to have this dream come true, and see a more complete, more emotional, and more living MLQC makes me happy. 

I hope through everyone’s efforts, we can present a complete and beautiful story to all producers. 

Q: Do you have any final words to say to all the producers?

A: If you don’t want him to always make wrong decisions, watch the animation. Now, it’s too late to escape. 

~

3. Ah Jie (voices Gavin / Bai Qi)

Q: How did you feel when you found out MLQC was getting an anime adaptation?

A: I can finally see a living Officer Bai! Previously, we could only have simple motions in the game. More complicated movements like riding a motorbike or firing a gun have to be described using words. In the animation, we can see these cool images. It feels great!

The animation is really able to bring out the cool and dashing side of Gavin. It looks great, and everyone can look forward to it. 

Q: How was your experience voicing the animation?

A: When doing the voice-over, I realised he has many more expressions than in the game. So when I was recording, I’d try to grasp his emotions and match it with the voice so it fits his expressions. For example, when he feels embarrassed, when he blushes, these things. I find it very interesting. 

A lot of people may be wondering if the plot would be different in the animation. I can reveal a little bit - the changes are very natural. It wouldn’t feel odd. The overall pace is still great. So you can all rest assured.

As for the overall voicing experience, I feel it’s more difficult than voicing the game. In the game, I’m basically given the script and a bit of illustrations of the scene. So we base it off our imagination. 

But in the animation, we see the final product when we voice it, including the movement of the mouth. We have to follow the mouth movements strictly to fit the voice. So this is more difficult. We also have to follow the expressions and movements in the anime. So we’re not given as much freedom as in the game, but it’s a nice challenge. 

In the animation, what is most impactful is that a moving Gavin is very very very cool.

For example, in the 2nd chapter of the game, which is where he first shows his Evol, we can only imagine it through the words. But in the animation, we can actually see him flying. The moment he does it goes beyond my expectations. Everyone can look forward to it. It’s really cool.

Q: Will the animation address things from Gavin’s time in high school?

A: Do you want me to reveal anything? I will definitely not. But I can guarantee that the memories most important to you will not be missing in the anime. 

Q: Do you have any final words to say to all the producers?

A: As long as you watch the MLQC animation, he can sense you in the wind.

~

4. Bian Jiang (voices Kiro / Zhou Qi Luo)

Q: How did you feel when you found out MLQC was getting an anime adaptation?

A: I did think MLQC would eventually be made into an animation, and was anticipating when it would happen. And now it’s about to start. 

In the PV, people commented that they wanted to see Kiro’s superstar side. When voicing the animation, I did see things like him being on stage, dancing, and interesting tidbits from his filming and photoshoots. I think you’ll definitely see a different Kiro, and have even more surprises.

Q: How was your experience voicing the animation?

A: When doing the voice-over, I realised there are a lot of notable scenes in the game that appear in the animation. I find myself thinking back to how I began voicing Kiro, and the tranquility that comes with it. Kiro is always really easy to like. 

Something you might want to know - will we get both Kiro and Helios? Hmm... 

During the voice-over, we saw a lot of NPCs. Savin has many scenes, so I wouldn’t mention more. We will get to see Hollow, who brings us a lot of joy. A lot of NPCs have scenes. It’s worth anticipating.

Q: Will we get to see Kiro singing?

A: I have a big surprise for you - Kiro will be having a new single in the anime. Can I reveal it? I’ll hum it for you. [hums the character song] Does it sound good? 

Q: Do you have any final words to say to all the producers?

A: Miss Chips, Kiro commands you that whether or not he can see you, you have to watch the MLQC anime. Or else, he will feel very disappointed. 

-

Random input: This is the scene I was talking about in the tags-

[twokinkybeans]

Popsicle [Starker]

Summary:  Tony sees Peter at a kink club; bound, blindfolded, gagged and whipped and Tony... God, it messes with his head. It sure makes working in the lab with Peter a whole lot more difficult.

Prompt: Written for the following prompt by @Kaydu on AO3/Discord (so all credits for this amazing idea go to her)! Post resurrection Tony runs into Peter at night unintentionally. At a kink club. Blindfolded and gagged and being whipped across the back while mounted on a St Andrews cross and then forced in his knees to suck off the Dom where he is humiliated by slurs and insults and Peter doesn’t know at first that Tony saw him there doing that until after a few weeks of Tony acting particularly odd in the lab working together.

Warnings: Nff, kink, bdsm-themes. Mostly Peter and Tony just really like each other. Peter Parker is depicted as an adult.

Find on AO3 here!

-

Popsicle: Tony knows this is probably not one of his brightest ideas but he really needs to blow off some steam. He’s not here looking for a hook-up; not that he’d decline if someone were to offer it of course. He just needs a change of scenery. And this, well, this is his favorite scenery. When Tony walks into the club an instant smile works its way onto his face. The familiar sounds surround him. The slow, sensual beat of the music playing in the background, but also the moans, the happy chatter, the whips cracking in the distance. It’s home to Tony.

He heads straight for the bar and orders a strawberry daiquiri like he always does. It’s nice, the sweet sting of the fruit mixed with the bitterness of the alcohol. He doesn’t want to start on the club’s fine selection of whiskey right away.

Tony ignores the way the bartender looks at him when he orders. He’s used to the stares by now. People don’t know how to treat him anymore. After almost dying to save the world, they simply are too impressed or scared or weirded out by him. He doesn’t like the godlike devotion some people have decided to give him, doesn’t like how he makes conversations fall silent where he passes. But, he decided a couple of months ago, he won’t allow himself to succumb to the feeling. He’s got his little Avengers family to keep him company. If this is the price he has to pay for saving the world, he’ll happily endure it. He has the idle hope that things might return to their previous way of being, and until then, he’ll try to pretend they are. One of the things he used to do was residing at the bar in this particular club and enjoy the scenes unfold in front of him. So that’s exactly what he’ll do today.

There’s actually quite the number of scenes going on right now - the biggest one happening on the stage in the middle of the room. A familiar-faced Domme, a regular probably, is teaching a shibari workshop. Her sub, a sweet-looking young woman is definitely enjoying both the ropes and the public’s attention. They even let some of the folks in the audience try their way around the knots as well. Then, in the back and the sides of the room, there are some smaller scenes taking place. Wax play, not one of Tony’s favorites, and some bootlicking, also not one of his favorites. No. Tony’s attention is drawn by the scene taking place almost in front of him. A cute, young twink is bound to the St. Andrew’s cross. The sub’s back showing angry lines of where the heavy flogger had kissed the skin. The boy is shivering, moaning, pleading for more through the gag that’s in his mouth. He’s blindfolded, too. The Dom, a tall, muscular blonde grins as he gives into the subs pleas more than happily and lowers the flogger once more. Tony shifts on the barstool to give his already growing erection a little more space while he keeps watching. God, the sub… He looks amazing. Not too tall, strong muscles gliding underneath the smooth skin every time he arches his back. Tony loves the cute, firm little butt too. If he were the one holding the flogger he’d definitely redden the pale cheeks some more. As would he give special attention to those probably very sensitive thighs. With his legs spread in the cross like that, Tony doesn’t even need a lot of imagination to see how pretty his legs would shake. The twink sure reminds him of… No.

Tony’s nostrils flare slightly and he sips at his drink in an attempt to cool himself down just a little. Ever since defeating Thanos a little over a year ago, he hadn’t gotten laid once. With people being squeamish around him he had no chance, and even if people weren’t weirded out by him, they were by the fact that he had a fully operative, natural-looking prosthetic arm. The neurofeedback allowed it to work as a regular arm- so much even Tony tends to forget it’s a fake one. He sighs. He hasn’t even shared a simple kiss with someone since it happened. His body doesn’t like it. It’s starting to protest the lack of touch. Maybe he should find himself someone tonight after all. Get it out of his system. He knows it’s idle hope, but the thought is nice.

Tony finishes his drink and is just about to make his way into the more crowded area, when the Dom in front of him unties his sub. The boy turns around, and-

Tony blinks. Once. Twice. A third time. He can feel the blood drain from his face and somehow simultaneously rush south. There, right there, is no one other than Peter fucking Parker. His friend. His colleague. His mentee. Tony has to bite back a moan because everything about Peter makes him want to claim him for himself. His disheveled hair, his rapidly rising and falling chest, his hard cock… not too big but standing up hard and proud between his legs. He’s still blindfolded though. And a ring gag is causing him to drool all over his chest. He looks so fucking filthy. Tony has no clue how to deal with this. How to deal with… Goddammit. He thought he was over his attraction to Peter. The 21-year old and he hadn’t been able to meet much lately and it’d done wonders to Tony’s unhealthy crush.

Guess he fooled himself.

He’s frozen in place. He would never interrupt a scene. Never. No matter how much he wants to do it right now, he is not going to break the rule he set for himself all these years ago. Plus, it’s club policy. Peter obviously consented to this scene and Tony interrupting would only cause embarrassment for all parties involved and could throw the boy into the deep end of a sub drop. No. All he can do is watch. Watch and pray Peter never finds out.

---

Making sure Peter never finds out didn’t seem too difficult of a task. Tony is soon proven otherwise though. Working with the kid has never been as challenging. Every time Tony lays his eyes on him he remembers Peter’s mouth working around the other Dom’s shaft. Eagerly sucking and worshipping it without fail. The image is branded into Tony’s mind. He can’t unsee it, no matter how hard he tries.

Today, Tony is certain the universe is taking its revenge on him somehow. Making him pay for all the bad things he’s done in his past, probably. Peter is naked. Naked. Right there. Right in front of him. Sucking on a fucking popsicle almost the same way he sucked on the man’s cock that day. He’s chatting happily, making innocent jokes and laughing as Tony works his way through the suit to find the one error that Peter can’t seem to fix by himself. Friday hasn’t detected anything wrong so the glitch is probably a crack somewhere in the nano sections. He’s trying to find it, really, but Tony has never had this little focus before in his entire life. He stares at the suit. At his own fingers checking and rechecking every fiber of the supple yet strong material to find the crack. So far, no luck. He forces himself to not look at Peter. To try to ignore him. To-

“Mr. Stark?” Tony looks up instantly and mentally curses himself for his lack of self-restraint. “Mmh?” Peter sucks on the popsicle, licking off the drops threatening to fall off, before he speaks again. “Am I… Annoying you? Should I go and wait somewhere else until you’re done? I don’t want to disturb you and-” “No. Stay.”

The words are out of Tony’s mouth before he realizes his mistake. He stays silent. Doesn’t even try to cover up because he knows it’s no use. Instead, he lowers the fabric of the suit and rests his hands on the surface- waiting for Peter to speak. It takes a while. “Mr. Stark…” Peter starts and puts the popsicle down onto the plate he used not more than an hour ago for his daily 5-layer sandwich lunch. “I… I should’ve told you. I’m so sorry.” “What?” Tony asks, thoroughly confused. Out of everything Peter could’ve said, this is not what he expected. Peter fiddles with his hands and drops his gaze to the floor. “I know you saw me.”

Tony’s brains sure as fuck short circuit right there and then. What? Peter continues before he has a chance to speak. “My Spider-senses. They recognize people that I’m close to. I… I knew you were watching me, eh, the entire time.” “Peter-” “I liked it. I liked that you were there. Made me try extra hard.” Peter licks his lips and stands up from his chair then, slowly striding towards Tony who is increasingly intimidated by the boldness of the boy. “I could sense how hard you were.” Another step closer. “How your breathing increased over time.” Closer. “How you rushed off after I made the Dom come in my mouth.” Peter hops onto the research table and his legs dangle playfully in the air. Tony can’t help but notice the slowly growing cock between the boy’s legs and he gulps.

“Peter,” he repeats, his mind startled and scattered and entranced by the plain sexiness in front of him. “Don’t you want to do the same to me, Sir?” Tony growls. Actually growls. Low, the sound reverberating deep in his throat. He bridges the gap between them and raises Peter’s chin in a rough but careful motion. “Are you a hundred percent certain you want to do this with me?” “Please,” Peter begs and Tony’s gone. His right hand finds its way into Peter’s messy hair instantly. Grabbing a good handful of those chestnut curls. The other hand wraps around Peter’s waist to drag him closer. Peter lets out a high-pitched moan, bucking his hips up. The moan is muffled when their lips crash together in one swift motion. Tony claims it. Claims it all. Suckling on Peter’s lower lip, tilting the boy’s head in the exact right angle. “S-sir, please. Please I need you so bad,” Peter babbles into Tony mouth and Tony’s entire system surges forward. His abdomen tingling with an increasing need to pound this sweet sub into oblivion. He can’t believe Peter has known all these weeks, all these weeks of innocent teasing and playfulness- god. The popsicle sure hadn’t been an accident. And the suit…

“The suit, pretty Pete, is it broken at all?” “N-no!” Peter squeaks and Tony grins, pulling back slightly. He moves a loose strand back behind Peter’s ear and basks in the hungry gaze right in front of him. “You little bastard,” Tony laughs and yanks Peter’s head back with a controlled motion. Peter gasps, his cock twitches, and his hands dig into the metal surface beneath him. “Everything for you, Sir. I did everything for you.” “Nngh, such a good boy. So eager to get my cock aren’t ya?” “Yeah, need it. I need it so bad.”

Tony carefully releases his grip on Peter before he moves his hands down hastily to undo the fly of his now way too tight jeans. He curses, muttering under his breath, as he slides it down. God, never in his life had he been more grateful for the weird habit of not wearing shoes inside the lab. Peter in return, shifts to lay down face-up on the table. His head tilted to the side and oh fuck oh fuck Tony knows exactly what he’s offering right there. He kicks his boxers off too and strokes his achingly hard cock a few times to release some of the tension that had been building up over the course of merely a minute. Peter follows the motions with his eyes and bites on his bottom lip. He then looks up at Tony with the most innocent and at the same time filthy gaze Tony has ever seen in his entire life. This boy will be his undoing. “Open up, baby,” Tony grunts and Peter complies right away. His lips part in a perfect seductive O-shape and Tony takes a step closer, his cock now dangling in front of Peter’s face. “Come on, suck it honey.”

Peter has to crane his neck even more to properly reach it and he does exactly that. Tony’s legs nearly give out when the soft, hot, wet lips wrap themselves around his way too sensitive flesh. His pelvic floor muscles jerk involuntarily- his dick twitching as a result of it. It only makes Peter moan and slide down onto the shaft more. His tongue is fucking heaven, smooth as velvet and so hot, playfully circling the head of his cock. Around, up and down, the tip of Peter’s tongue teasing the slit and Tony can literally feel precum oozing onto the boy’s tongue. “God, aren’t you a filthy little thing,” Tony breathes. His voice is rough and shaky and he loves how it has Peter’s cheeks flush a bright red. “You like having your mouth stuffed?”

The boy nods as much as his current position allows him to and it sets off yet another heatwave throughout Tony’s abdomen. He knows he won’t last long. Not with Peter, beautiful, innocent, perfect Peter who looks so content pleasuring his newfound Dom. Tony decides the boy deserves the same amount of pleasure he himself is experiencing right now. While one hand reaches up to Peter’s neck to support it and keep it from straining, the other moves towards Peter’s hard and now leaking cock. His calloused fingers wrap around Peter’s delicate skin and he slowly moves it down. Peter’s uncut, and the movement allows for the beautiful pink head to be revealed. Peter’s hips buck into the touch, the kid’s nostrils flaring wide as he chases the pleasure given to him. “You deserve this, pretty boy, deserve to have your cock milked by me. You’ve wanted it for so long now, so take everything I’ve chosen to give you.” Tony has never been this vocal during sex but the words just keep coming and coming without stop. “Gonna show me every inch of your pleasure as I’ll make you cum. It’s mine. You’re mine. My sweet, sweet Peter.” “M-m!” Peter whimpers around Tony’s cock still pounding into his mouth relentlessly. Tony moans out loud, his hips and hand speeding up in the same rhythm. He’s desperate. Desperate for release. Desperate to see Peter’s eyes roll back as white stripes of cum stain his ripped abdomen. He wants Peter filthy and used and then coddle him back to reality.

“You close yet? Ready to show me how adorably your cock will surrender to me?” Peter hollows his cheeks now, sucking and looking up at Tony teary-eyed with happiness and belonging. Tony feels equally surprised by how well their bodies seem to fit together, as if they’d never done anything but this. As if it were meant to be. For a short moment, Tony pulls his cock out of Peter’s mouth. The cold air makes it sting a little and he loves how Peter’s head moves forward in a futile attempt to chase it. “Beg for it, Peter. For everything,” Tony hisses and Peter doesn’t even need a second to think before he complies to Tony’s order. More than he ever deemed possible from the supposedly innocent young adult. “Please please please Sir, please, I want to taste your cum in my mouth. Want it to drip past my cheek because I can’t take it all. Want to show you how amazingly good you make me feel, want to gift you with my cum. Please, Sir. Please take everything you want from me. Plea-”

Tony shoves his cock back past Peter’s lips and enjoys how it muffles the rest of the boy’s plea. His hand around Peter’s cock speeds up. Faster, and faster, as he pounds faster into Peter’s mouth as well. The movements fall into a steady rhythm that has both men lose their minds in ecstasy. “Peter-Peter, I’m so close. Gonna fill you up so nicely. I’ll give you exactly what you so desperately want. Want my cum to mix with your drool and watch how it slips past your plump lips.” Tony just- god. Oh god. He can’t. He can’t stop it anymore. His dick tenses, jerks. An all-consuming pleasure starting at the base surges through his entire cock, drawing his balls tight and he collapses forward as wave after wave after wave flows through his entire being. Hot spurts of come stain Peter’s wet tongue and the boy is whimpering like mad, the sound echoing right through him like a song stuck on repeat. For a moment, Tony is completely disoriented. The boy’s suckles slow down as his cock softens up inside the kid’s mouth. The gentle, kissy feel of it has Tony shiver.

“F-fuck,” he chokes out and lets his thighs now rest against the edge of the metal table to support himself while his hand still pumps Peter’s cock like a fucking machine. Peter’s legs are shaky, too. Toes curling and uncurling to release the tension that is so obviously building inside his body. He’s wound tight like a spring ready to jump into action. It’s only a matter or seconds now. The boy’s whimpers and whines and breathy gasps are mingling together into a sweet symphony of plain and simple bliss and Tony wishes this moment would never ever end. But his desire to make Peter lose it wins out. “Come for me, boy. Show me how desperate you have been for me all this time. Give it to me all, I’ve got you. I’ve got you. Lose it baby, and I’ll catch you.”

Peter’s body literally trashes on the cold surface. The pent-up neediness finally finding a way to release itself. Peter cries out, his eyes open wide as his lower body shakes with every single eruption. The cum stains his hard chest and stomach beautifully. Tony watches mesmerized. He’s seen Peter in the club, but that’d been nothing. Absolutely nothing compared to the view in front of him right now. “M-Mr. Stark, Mr. Stark, Mr. Stark,” Peter mumbles, moaning, repeating the name over and over again until finally his body goes entirely limp. Tony sucks in a sharp breath, carefully unwrapping his now sticky fingers from his hold on Peter. He moves his hand up, trailing, smearing the cum even further across the smooth skin of the boy’s chest. All the way up to his nipples and more, until Peter’s soft and reddened lips suck a hint of his own cum from Tony’s fingers. “Hey baby,” Tony murmurs. His free hand has crept up to Peter’s face to caress his cheek gently. Peter shivers underneath the touch and another, soft, weak moan rises from his chest. “Mmmm,” he breathes. “-‘m feeling so nice.” Peter’s speech is clearly slow and slurred and Tony smiles down at the boy happily. He feels fulfilled in a way he’s never experienced before. “Good boy,” Tony replies sweetly and he leans in. Carefully, he presses his lips on top of Peter’s forehead. Kissing the skin again, and again. Gentle. Caring. His body filled with a need to protect and spoil this beautiful creature now that he’s no longer caught up with the need to release. “Come, lemme carry you upstairs.”

Peter perks up at that. “Y-your bedroom?” “Yes, why?” “Mmmmh, nothing. Nothing. I’m just very very very happy.” Peter giggles and rolls to his side a little. Tony cracks a smile. He knows what Peter meant. Knows that Peter knows that Tony has a strict rule of not taking people to his bedroom. It’s an unspoken promise. Something they’ll discuss later. Not now. Now, he’s going to spoil this boy to no end, wrap him in the softest blankets and whisper sweet nothings into his ear until he’s fully back on Earth. He slides his arms underneath Peter’s unresisting figure and lifts him up bridal style. The boy nuzzles his face into Tony’s neck. Cum is dripping from him, against Tony’s shirt and onto the floor but he couldn’t care less. “Mr. Stark?” “Yes, sweetness?” “You owe me another popsicle.”

Tony laughs.

[prandstg]

Third Year of University

The third and final year of university was quite the handful. With Covid-19 forcing us all to stay at home we lacked many of the resources and had to make due with what we had at home. Originally this blog post was supposed to be on a personal website, but for reasons currently unknown to me, my website just doe snot work anymore, so here we are!

Advanced Project

One of our tasks we had to do is create an Advanced Project. Due to current circumstances. and the aforementioned lack of physical resources that were all at the university, I decided to recreate sound for a retro style game, since it did not directly involve creating music and/or sound by physical means. Furthermore, I decided to go with a video game instead of say, a music album, or an EP, or something like that, since my focus is on the video games industry.

So I set out to find a video game I would want to recreate the sound for. It took me a while to find something I would be content with. I ended up using “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” as my source material. So I began to acquire a video clip of this video game, and proceeded to create a list of all the sound effects I would need to recreate in order for this to work. Some sound effects that would work nicely I had already in my possession, saved to my hard drive in my sound library. Those are sound effects from a previous project with similar intent, giving me a nice head start already as I acquired a few sounds from that. 

Following that I then proceeded to create new sound effects. The digital audio workspace, or DAW for short, that I use is Ableton Live 10. Using the in-built synthesizer I set out to create new sound effects fitting a retro game from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (or SNES for short) era. Whilst I had great success with some sound effects, I had troubles with others. Specifically, I had troubles with the sounds for the swinging of a sword, a door unlocking, and footsteps going up and down a flight of stairs. 

I was not sure how I would be able to circumvent these troubles, and therefor decided to review the methods I was using. After looking into other games. to be precise video games that have retro style, but are in fact modern era video games, I realized that due to lacking the knowledge and skill for the time being, to create such very specific sounds and effects, that I had to use a different approach. So, I ended up dropping my attempt at re-creating sound effects from the SNES era, and rather focus on the here and now. For the sound of the sword swinging I ended up using the sound of a knife sliding across a hard surface, and then manipulated the sound. I first lowered the pitch of the sound sample, and then proceeded to reduce the bit-depth, which more or less means reducing the quality of the sound itself, until it sounded like something that would in in a retro-style game of the modern era. I proceeded to do the very same for the footsteps going up and down a flight of stairs. In the case of the footsteps, I got my hands on a sample of a pair of boots walking on a stone surface, which I gave the same treatment as the sword. As for the sound of a door unlocking I acquired a sound effect of two pieces of metal banging and sliding against each other, once more giving it the same treatment as mentioned before. 

The only thing that was left to do was create music. I was unsure at first how I wanted to approach the music for the game. I wanted to give it my own style, but still at the same time I wanted to make it fit at least somewhat, so I did not want to make it too contemporary. What I ended up using in the end was simply three built in instruments from Ableton Live 10. The first was a drum rack, the second one a nasal voice that sinds “Aahs” and “Oohs”, and the third one being a brass ensemble. The way I made those all sound like they belong in a retro/retro-style game was by giving them all the same treatment as my sound effects previously mentioned. I decreased the bit-depth of each one of those virtual instruments, and I also used an equalizer to remove all the low-end, aka all the bass from the each of the instruments, since making the instruments lower quality they can drone quite a lot if there is base within them. 

Finally it was time to edit it all and that was quite the chore for multiple reasons. Firstly there were a lot of small sound effects very quickly one after another in quick succession, taking a long time to line all the sound effects up correctly for them to fit perfectly where they are supposed to be. Another issue was that for some reason some times the video would not load from certain spots so I had to scroll back far enough so that the video would play again so that I then could place the sounds where they belong. Overall it was a very arduous task to do, that proofed less difficult, but more so extremely tedious, but in the end I managed to do it.

It was quite some long and hard work, but in the end it paid off, as I got to see a full five minute video of my hard work, being able to admire what I did, and finding it to be a job well done. I look back at the work now, happy that I did it, and happy about the way I did it, enjoying the fact that such hard work made a final product that I like myself for once as well.

Research Project

Sticking with my theme of “The Legend of Zelda” I decided that for the research paper that we were supposed to create I would look into the aspect of how the original “The Legend of Zeda: Link’s Awakening” and the remake that was released in 2019 differ. To do so I decided that it would be first prudent to take a look at each game. I decided to first start off with a general overview of both games, having a bit of a closer look at the limitations of the original console the game was released on, namely the Game Boy. Having studied it a bit it turns out that the Game Boy has massive limitations especially in regard to music and sound, having only 4 different channels available at any given time, meaning the game boy can only produce 4 different sounds at the same time. 

Realizing that I had a closer look at the music that Link’s Awakening has, and realized that indeed it only ever has two “instruments” playing at the same. One giving rhythm and also doubling as the bass, and one that is the leading melody of each song. It turns out that most sound effects do not interrupt the music, but mostly each other, if too much is going on at once sound wise, then sounds will cut out, not so the music however except for a few examples which I found quite interesting. 

Another aspect I ended up looking into was nostalgia. I realized that nostalgia is another big aspect that I should look into when it comes to comparing two games that are the same. In essence I realized that nostalgia is an important feeling when looking at the remake of a game, especially a game that is originally as old as this one. After all there are around 18 years difference between the original game and the remake, leaving a huge gap between the two. And as somebody who played the original on their Game Boy Color all happy and excited, because it was just such an extremely magical and wonderful journey as a child. As such it was important to me on a personal level that the remake felt just as magical. 

Therefor I decided to do some research into the nostalgia, which turned out the be quite insightful, finding some interesting sources talking about different forms of nostalgia, something I had not even considered. Within was explained that there are different forms of nostalgia, created and experiences in different ways, depending on what kind of game it is. It ended up giving me a more detailed and clearer insight into what exactly is going on in regard to the nostalgia within the new version, the remake. of the game, and how it ties the two games together. 

I then proceeded to pick the two games apart in detail, especially when it comes to the sound design, having a specifically close look at the bosses and mini bosses within the games, as they offer the most characteristics of the game, being the most imposing but at the same time most unique beings, so much so that even with the limit sound capacity of the Game Boy, they all have their very own special sounds they make, giving a great opportunity to cross reference the two to have a closer look at how the new version of the game handles all of these things. In the end it felt like sound wise the remake was essentially taking the original game and using it as a foundation to build upon to make it something contemporary. 

This task was by far the hardest, having to do a ton of research and taking a deep dive into both games, taking in everything and then in detail write about it. It took a long time and a lot of effort and patience, but I am happy with the end result I achieved with it. 

Professional Practice

One of the main things I had to do for professional practice was to create a show reel/demo reel. At first I thought I would have to create a bunch of new mini projects to get something together for it, but I decided not to do so. Instead, I decided I would take all the projects from the past three years of university and compile them into a three minute video. I wanted to give a full and true image of th spectrum of things I am currently capable and incapable off, not only to be true to whomever is seeing it, but also to be true to myself, to have a reminder just what exactly my errors are, so I can work on them, so by the time I release my next demo/show reel, I can show off just how much I have improved, not just to others, but myself as well. 

Doing a 5-year plan right afterwards was a massive help in that regard, making me realize just what kind of goals I should aim for, giving me a nice step-by-step guide fully created by myself to have a view into the future what I could and should do to further myself. It was a fun and interesting task, opening my eyes to the possibilities. 

Lastly I had to do an assessment, not only explaining my demo reel in depth, but also forcing me to do some research into the current state of the games industry, which gave me quite a lot of insight into just how much the games industry has grown, and how much more important it has becoming, opening my eyes to how big the challenges ahead of me are, but also giving me confidence that I can do it if I just work hard on it. 

Overall, it has been extremely stressful with everything that has been going on, but I am also extremely grateful for having gotten the opportunity to go and study at a university, and given the opportunity to learn all the things I have.

[oneistoxnetwork]

5 Reasons You Need to Upskill to be a Better Designer (Be Future Ready)

With the multidisciplinary field that design is, no amount of skills are too many. It is now an established practice to gain knowledge by taking up online design courses or doing individual research. To define this phenomenon, the term ‘Upskilling’ has been frequently used in recent times, but what exactly is it?

 To put it simply, Upskilling is getting better at what you do. It is upgrading your knowledge (both theoretical and practical) of the subjects that may be directly or indirectly related to the field you’re working in.

 Let’s look back at the past!

The design field is diversifying and merging indistinguishably with other fields, demanding more multi-talented professionals. Looking back at history, the greatest of designers were popular in their times and even now for being skilled in numerous fields and contributing to society at large. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the most multi-talented people to walk on earth, was a skilful artist, mathematician, sculptor, architect, scientist, and astronomer. His works turned to be an inspiration for the later generation of polymaths, rivalled only by Michelangelo, his contemporary. These figures gave rise to the term ‘Renaissance Men’, with the ideal that said “a man can do all things if he will.” 

Even apart from design, there have been several such personnel with an eagerness to be everything at once. Aristotle, the famous Greek Philosopher, was a brilliant writer. His works covered subjects like poetry, music, theatre, rhetoric, politics, ethics and even biology. He was also the teacher of Alexander the Great, who, as we all know, was one of the biggest conquerors of all times.

 Issac Newton is not a foreign name to anyone in the field of science. Celebrated for his contributions to physics (theory of gravity and laws of motions), this English scientist was also an astronomer, alchemist, philosopher and theologian. His works laid the foundation for the progress of later generations of scientists, particularly Sir Stephen Hawking.

What’s happening now?

 Increasing technology and resources have brought about specialisations in various fields of study. With specialists coming up in every sector, the number of all-rounders have been gradually decreasing.

 But we know that history has always admired and valued multi-skilled people. Despite the revolutions taking place, traces of this admiration can still be seen, especially in the field of Film-making and Design. Actors are no longer expected to just act and film-makers are no longer expected to just direct. The best of the rest are those who are not only great at their primary skills but also good at other 21st century skills required in the field. A good example from the modern-day is FarhanAkhtar, an Indian actor, film-maker, producer, playback singer, screenwriter and television host. He is celebrated by the Indian audience for having proved his versatility time and again.

Similarly, design practices that do not adhere to just one type of product are more popular than the rest as they have a wider clientele and user base and strive for continuous experimentation and upgrade. With a complex network of professionals worldwide, multipotentiality is appreciated.

 Thus, the need for all-rounders and design upskilling is emerging again.

 [Read: The Assets of Success: 13 Golden Skills in Design to Master]

 Multipotentiality

 Now, what exactly does it mean to have multipotentiality?

It is the trait of a person

having interests in two or more fields of study

and curiosity to learn and excel at them. Such people are called ‘multipotentialites’ which is the opposite of

‘specialists’ and is used interchangeably with ‘polymaths’. They are required in almost every field; science, art, technology, medicine, business, commerce, etc.

 Multipotentialites are valued for their fast learning skills and adaptability. Organisations are always keen to acquire individuals who can bring dynamism, novelty, enthusiasm and variety to work-places. Such professionals are also favoured to undertake leadership roles as they are better at empathising and understanding a broader set of situations, people and their perspectives.

 It is great to be a specialist, but even better to be good at many other skills along with one. It is time to be the Jack of all trades AND master of one! 

The changing times demand multi-faceted individuals to bring in innovative design solutions. Gradually, the need for regular upskilling comes up, whether through online design courses or through experiential learning.

 Here are 5 reasons designers needs to upskill themselves:

 1.      To Fill the Skill Gap

As fellow designers, most of us can collectively agree that there is still a huge gap between our design education system and the practice. The system lacks the capacity to make students industry-ready, leaving them with little to no practical knowledge.

In the current scenario, students opting fordesign upskilling are constantly at an advantage compared to the rest, be it academically or professionally.

  A lot of independent platforms have emerged that have recognised this gap and aim to fill it by offering learning to interested individuals, especially in the field of architecture with

1.      To Have a Better Career and Job Prospects

 It is no mystery that design establishments tend to hire aspirants with a broader range of skills. It is good to master one skill, but is it good enough?

  With the increasing competition in the design field, there is more demand for

professionals who are adept at handling a variety of tasks

. For example, someone who is great at 3D modelling should also be able to manage an entire project if needed. The design industry has become experimental and welcomes multi-talented people with open arms. InitiativesWith the increasing competition in the design field, there is more demand for professionals who are adept at handling a variety of tasks. For example, someone who is great at 3D modelling should also be able to manage an entire project if needed. The design industry has become experimental and welcomes multi-talented people with open arms. Initiatives are being taken across the globe to recruit individuals who can perform multiple tasks instead of hiring someone just to perform one task. Naturally, such versatile individuals bring more to the organisation while making more for themselves. 1.      To Progress in the Field A broader skill-set gets you better job opportunities, but what happens once you are into the field? Design Upskilling doesn’t stop once you’ve earned a job. You need to keep honing your skills and adding to the existing ones for your professional development. In the design industry, multi-skilled professionals are more likely to be given positions of responsibility and develop trust. Moreover, individuals with a zeal to constantly enhance their skills, adding more value to the team, progress faster than others in their career trajectory. Hence, adding more to your design skill plate will give you an upper hand at any point in your career. If you are a working professional, now is the time to upskill, rise and shine!

(Source: www.giphy.com)https://giphy.com/gifs/l1Kua6X2X3t9bSlNK/html5[Alt Text: GIF of a cartoon show, spongebobsquarepants, with the words “I’m ready”] 2.      To Stay Relevant to the Changing Times Modern problems require modern solutions. It is obvious that one cannot run a design practice efficiently with obsolete techniques. Things that were considered awesome in the yesteryears may be completely outdated now. To align with the demands of the current world it is necessary to update,upskill and improve.  Globalisation and digitisation have paved the way for several new domains in the field of design. From UI-UX design to Urban Planning, the good designers always have a fair idea of the advances happening in the field. Even clients are now getting more familiar with design as a profession and its importance, with a wide range of resources to facilitate awareness. Being on par with the rapidly altering world and understanding the contemporary necessities will give designers the kind of expertise needed to meet the requirements of today’s user base. Change is the only constant! 

(Source: www.quotemaster.org)https://www.quotemaster.org/architecture+students[Alt Text: Image of a sketch with a drafting board and two people standing in front of it, one of them saying “I haven’t much experience of such an early version of autocad”] 3.      To Start Out On Your Own It takes a great deal of skill to start practising as an independent designer or going for an entrepreneurial venture. The most difficult part, which is the beginning, can become easier if you have what it takes.  The field of design is connected to and borrows from many others. Starting a design practice not only requires field-related knowledge but also inter-disciplinary skills like business management, automation, digital communication, etc. If you aim to eventually start on your own, acquiring know-how and soft skills is essential. Multi-skilled individuals can then collaborate with many different kinds of people to deliver fantastic results. A skilful leader makes a skilful team! 

(Source: www.codycameron.com)https://codycameron.com/are-you-my-leader/[GIF showing popular animated character buzz lightyear surrounded by alien midgets] From filling the skill-gaps to practising design independently, we have reached full circle. The current pandemic situation has been harsh on us all. On the bright side, a lot of education platforms have come to light, inspiring individuals to make use of their time at home by taking up online design courses. Thanks to digitisation, it is now easier than ever to connect with individuals across the world! Thus, there has been a boom in the past year in the way people learn new skills. The growing give-and-take of knowledge around the world is turning designers into all-rounders with the skills necessary to tackle modern problems. So, if you are keen on trying something new, expanding your skillset and being future-ready, then check out these avenues for design upskilling and online architecture courses by Oneistox! 

[playfultemperature]

Self Directed Project - 44 Reflective Essay

[Reflective essay]

[Reflective essay]

I cannot believe the two years of MFA study is finished. I would say I had the worst studying time in my life during the final semester due to COVID19 lockdown which no one has not expected at all. However, nevertheless the hard time, I think I finished my final semester safely within the best condition I can do in the current situation and environment.

My background is in graphic Visual Communication Design, with a particular focus on drawing characters. One of the reasons for starting Glass MFA was that I didn't want the form of my work to be confined to paper or screen monitors and I wanted to make 'physical' artwork by hand with glass which is a unique artistic medium I have interested in for a long time. Hence, during my MFA study, I took an interdisciplinary approach to develop my artistic work by combining two different disciplines of Graphic Illustration and Glass. Through this approach, I was able to develop my art from a creative, hybrid perspective which is different from traditional studio glass artists. In particular, I would say my final work ‘Happiness Diary’ was made by taking all my strengths in the two different art fields.

I have explored playfulness within my creative practice by taking a kitschy approach in developing my glass artworks, and I am inspired by *Kidult toy culture and adultescent behaviour which I use to inform my work. ‘Happiness Diary' is one of the series of artwork belongs to my playfulness and Kidult theme, which ultimately focuses on the idea of 'seeking and valuing happiness. As a person/artist who is a Kidult, I would say I enjoyed the time exploring and creating for my work relating to the culture I am very much interested in, but it was not always fun. Since I decided to make 20 pieces of the glass dolls for making better ‘collectable art’ impact, my wrists and fingers were getting worse because of a lot of working time for sandblasting and engraving (The machines are heavy and not really suitable to use for a long time). However, this was nothing to compare to the university lockdown because of the Coronavirus.

Desk-based students can work anywhere as long as they have a computer and maybe the Internet, but making glass is based on studio practice. Without using studio facilities, it is impossible to work at all. How can we make glass ‘REMOTELY’? I could understand in my head that no one can control the natural disaster, but it was hard to perfectly accept. Eventually, I applied AIS and went back to South Korea due to Carpal tunnel syndrome and schools' lockdown. A year has passed fast, and I came back to Edinburgh after having 10 days of quarantine in London to return to school after AIS in May 2021. When I returned to school, it was possible to access the glass studio, but there was a time limit to use. In addition, not being able to use a desk was extremely inconvenient. I frequently used the floor as a desk to work. My wrists and fingers, which had cured a little while I was resting, quickly deteriorated again because I had to do a lot of non-stop work during my limited studio time by the current school's system. I was so frustrated because I was seriously worried that I would lose my hand forever. However, due to the non-stop work, my engraving skill was able to be developed a lot in a short period of time.

I could keep writing about how much I struggled during my final year, but what I can say for sure is that I was very glad when I returned to school for studying. I felt finally I was in the right place. In addition, I feel huge satisfaction and a sense of achievement about my work ‘Happiness Diary’, which I made within a current difficult environment. I was delighted when I saw the viewers enjoyed it during the degree show.

Every time when I say I am studying Glass, people ask me, ‘Why glass?’. In my favourite British film/musical, 'Billy Elliot (2000)', the main hero, Billy is asked this question when he is auditioning: "What does it feel like when you're dancing?". Then Billy answers, "Don't know. Sorta feels good. Sorta stiff and that, but once I get going... then I like, forget everything. (...) And I've got this fire in my body. I'm just there.". Like Billy, I would say "I do not know. I just like Glass so much.”. Thus, I do not stop my glass journey with MFA study. Gratefully, I have got a PhD offer and it will start this September. During my PhD, I would like to do a practice-based studio investigation into the creative application of ‘Kidult’ culture within contemporary glass art. It will be researched as an expression of self-ethnography which is focused on the social and cultural aspects of Kidult toy collecting as a form of adult play. I hope I can fill an academic gap in knowledge by examining, exploring, and extending a field that combines Art Glass and Kidult culture.

Referece:

Billy Elliot (2000) Directed by Daldry. S. [Feature film]. New York, NYC: Universal Pictures (through United International Pictures)

* Kidult toy culture: Kidult is a blended word of Kid and Adult and it refers to adults who want to keep their childhood innocence. Chevel (2015) the journalist of the Huffington Post mentions that “they are yearning for comfort in products and sensory experiences that remind them of a happier and more innocent time, their childhood”

[honeyrose-tea]

this has been a strange start to the new year for sure. how are you doing? what did you think of the situation in the capitol? any thoughts or worries about the rest of the month? I'm curious to hear your thoughts on everything. -🌙

thank you so much for the ask💞 almost every day I check my inbox anticipating the next time I'll hear from you. just knowing that someone cares.... it really does a lot for my self-esteem. I don't have many friends right now and the few I do are very busy and have a lot of things they would rather do than talk to me. thank you for making time to listen to me and ask me how I'm doing. you wouldn't believe how many people don't. I haven't always been the most consistent presence for you and I'm sorry. I'm trying to do better and be less selfish because I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of that. thank you for always being kind to me, pen pal.

there is a lot I want to say regarding the capitol and the situation in the country in general. as a social science student (and hopefully one day a professor!) these situations are of great academic interest to me. as a bisexual woman and an informed US citizen who cares about my rights I am also very personally vested in American issues. but first I would like to tackle your question regarding how I'm doing:)

I'm doing pretty good. classes have started back up but most of mine are online. I'm thinking of switching to online exclusively because of how much emotional (and sometimes physical) labor in-person classes are, and also for the sake of my health and my parents'. it's funny how so many things we did with ease before the pandemic seem so burdensome now. even small interactions are anxiety-inducing now, and I find myself having a hard time socializing even casually. like a muscle that has atrophied without use, my social skills are awful now. on a happier note, my productivity and creativity are both at all-time highs since social interactions aren't using up all my energy anymore. I brought my record player to my dorm room and I've been listening to a bunch of music, I've also been writing and recording some music of my own. I have a couple of demos and if you or anyone else is interested, I'll post them on here. once I record and edit full band versions I'll put them up on my soundcloud. I've tried sharing some of my stuff with some friends but none of them really care and I don't want to annoy them. besides, it's more for myself anyway. I wang to prove to myself that I can make music and that I can say something worth saying. a lot of my struggle over the past 6 months has been that I feel as though nothing I do or say can change anything, that none of my actions matter. I struggle a lot with control and I've been working on it for years, but it's still really hard for me. anyway. I'm enjoying class and what I do outside of it. I've been in my element living alone again (in my dorm) and feeling free to wear/do/say what I want, when I want. I wash my dishes and sing to myself and manage my time and drink lots of artificially sweetened and heavily flavored coffee without anyone around to judge me. and I get to cry and masturbate when I want, both of which are helpful in regulating my moods. I don't know. it's not like I'm doing anything exciting, but I am doing each thing I do well and with a happy heart. I feel like this portion of my life is something of a hibernation- the winter seasons combined with the pandemic have me in a cozy little daydream, reading and self-reflecting and getting back in tune with myself and my passions. I have a feeling that the spring and summer will be very vibrant bustling months so I am trying to enjoy my rest and soak in as much knowledge about myself and the world around me as I can. it's hard for me to live in the present and not get antsy (connected to control issues, I think) but I'm getting better at it. on the subject of the future, I've also been using this time to look into grad school and prepare for the GRE (a standardized test required for most grad school applications, similar to the ACT/SAT). I'm learning a lot that I didn't know since neither of my parents went further than undergrad, and I'm getting excited. I'm really looking forward to doing research. I've already been collecting some thesis ideas for an undergraduate-level thesis that I have to complete next year for the honors college, and hopefully I can turn that into a masters and/or PHD thesis when the time comes. now, on to more important matters than my silly little life.

I have very complicated feelings about america. I do have some attachment to some of the original ideas that are at the foundation- "bring me your huddled masses...", "all men are created equal", the general spirit of democracy, etc.- all of these are valid and worth keeping (in some form) to me. I think a lot of good people and ideas exist around us and I believe that we must be as empathetic and kind as possible to one another in order to navigate the current climate and preserve the good that we do have. that said, america was also founded on some pretty terrible, bigoted principles and our history- as well as our present- is marred by injustices. our society has become highly individualistic because of capitalism, and it has resulted in considerable division on every level. the competition that fuels capitalism is like an invasive species of plant, it does not only exist within our economy but it slithers out into our social world and the way we relate to others. I think capitalism coupled with our post-enlightenment founding is the source of most all of our problems as a country. capitalism has taken root in america in a way more malicious and all-consuming than in any other culture, because it was there at the beginning of our country and all of our social norms have grown out of it. many other cultures have existed long before capitalism and though it has modified their culture, it has not altogether become it. because america was founded on capitalism, we have no cultural identity outside of it. america is, itself, capitalism. that is precisely why america is experiencing all of the best and worst parts of capitalism at their most extreme. it is why, as I mentioned previously, we are perhaps the most divisive and competitive society in the modern world, and probably in history. we are the richest and most powerful country but we have the largest wealth gap and incarceration rate, among many other extremes.

all of this is to say that the rise of Trump and fascism in this country has been a long time coming, and unmistakably inevitable. to defeat it we will have to break america down to its fundamentals, throw out everything that is unethical and unjust, and rebuild our entire society from there. this is radical and hard to imagine, it will also be very difficult to execute, but I strongly believe that much of our societal systems just cannot be reformed, they must be thrown out and replaced.

the capitol riots were inexcusable and sickening but decidedly inevitable. this has been steadily building for america's entire existence. I think it will get worse before it gets better, as there are already plans for bigger and more numerous protests across the country in the following weeks. that said, I feel hopeful as I see the anti-fascist movement grow in the wake of fascism, I am hopeful as I see many people being radicalized and awakened to the realities of this country's failings. I don't know how exactly we will even begin to rid ourselves of the biases, prejudices, and downright hatred that plagues our country. I don't know how we will relate on an individual level to those with such deeply-ingrained hate in their hearts. I don't know how we will change our systems of government and economy to reflect new cultural values that we begin to build together. I am not sure what the future will hold. I do believe, however, that we will triumph over this moment and that the future will be better. I think that the only way to radically change and unite so many vastly different people and remove the blinders from their eyes is through a terrible, historic awakening like the one we are having now. the situation itself is awful, but I am hopeful that out of this mess we become a nation more committed to justice and to some of the ideals which we have falsely claimed to be emulating for our entire history.

so yes, I am worried about the next few weeks, months, and even years. there is no end to the pursuit of a just society, and I think every informed citizen is always a bit apprehensive about certain aspects of their culture. there will always be problems to combat and injustices to rectify, but I think that we will soon be moving to a better place, that we will remember these moments and say, "never again". I am hopeful, despite seeing some of the worst of humanity in recent days, that these atrocities will bring positive change.

I know that was long and instead of discussing issues about the capitol, or even just current political issues, I expanded the scope considerably and dragged in a lot of things from history and grander sociopolitical theories. still, I think it is hard to talk about the insurrection attempt without talking about a lot more. thank you for reading my takes and caring about them. I spend a lot of time thinking about these things, and it feels nice to share them with someone other than my annoyed professors who want me to shut up so they can finish the lecture and stick to their semester schedule.

I hope you're well and that you're staying safe and healthy. are you in school now too? have you or your family had the virus? thank you for coming to talk to me, I always enjoy it. I'll talk to you again soon💞

[k-young-audio]

Non-creative applications in audio programming and processing.

The success of an audio processing application to be used in a creative success can be argued as subjective. In the world of plug-ins audio application has been programmed to have a purpose, but weather that purpose is successful depends on the individual using it. In some cases, an individual with a non-academic background can use the audio application in a musical sense, apply it to their music while not necessarily being able to describe what it does.

In this blog post, I want to focus on the other side of audio processing; audio applications that have been designed for a non-musical purpose. As well as delve into how we measure their success.

Audio processing for a medical use- Hearing Aids.

Within non-creative, non-musical audio devices, the hearing aid stands out as a simple design to forfill a medical need to help people who have been born with, or have developed hearing loss. Digital hearing aids are designed around and analogue/digital converter, a means to amplfy the signal, and finally a digital to analogue converter directed towards the ear drum.

Schneider. T, Brennan. R, Balsiger. P, Heubi. A (1999) An Ultra Low-power Programmable DSP System for Hearing Aids and Other Audio Applications (Online) ICSPAT’99 Proceedings, November 1-4, 1999, Orlando, FL. Available at

https://www.onsemi.jp/site/pdf/DSP_System.pdf (Accessed 18th Nov 2020)

This is a patent for technology used to describe an application specific signal processor suitable for hearing aids amongst other audio applications. This patent is particularly good at specifying the limitations of DSP in a real-time environment and offers solutions as how to conduct DSP with ultra low power. Section 3 lays out the fundamentals of the programming design. This source is dated and is not relevant to creating audio plug-ins specifically, and, although dated, the information provided is valuable as an insight into the fundamentals of DSP theory in audio as the hearing aid was a breakthrough in ultra low powered DSP.

Digital hearing aids are now the standard QUOTE, so we can see, objectively, that the development of the hearing aid as an audio device was a success.

Audio processing for support evidence -Audio forensics.

Audio forensics is a field where audio is used to obtain evidence through enhancing or processing an audio signal to gather information to support a criminal or civil case. This process is non-creative and non-musical, and should be approached with an objective mindset as the aim is not to make something sound good musically, but use audio as a means to support an investigation.

“Audio forensic evidence may come from a criminal investigation by law enforcement or as part of an official inquiry into an accident, fraud, accusation of slander, or some other civil incident. The primary aspects of audio forensics are establishing the authenticity of audio evidence, performing enhancement of audio recordings to improve speech intelligibility and the audibility of low-level sounds, and interpreting and documenting sonic evidence, such as identifying talkers, transcribing dialog, and reconstructing crime or accident scenes and timelines.” (Audio Forensics Expert, n.d.)

Upon investigating signal processing in audio forensics, I encountered this article, supporting the idea that audio forensics is an entirely different discipline to audio engineering.  “Audio engineers can go with whatever feels good, without worrying about documenting their processes, but forensic analysts must only apply what can be referenced and proven to be an accepted technique, and have to write down everything. And with the implementation of the ISO 17025 guidelines making the transition to the audio forensics world infinitely more difficult, anyone who wants to get into the field in the future could find themselves jumping through a whole lot more hoops.“ (Zjalic, 2018)

I feel article relays an important message, especially within my professional practice of audio programming; understanding that audio isn’t just about producing audio for a creative means, and there is another side that requires objectivity and an understanding of the physics and inner workings of sound.

One notable case where audio was used as supporting evidence was the Watergate case, an example that shows not only that audio can be used as evidence, but “doctored” audio can be detected and used as supporting evidence too. Below I have included an extract from an article describing the audio tapes in the Watergate cover-up.

“In 1974, interest turned to a particular recording of a con- versation between President Nixon and his Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman recorded in 1972 in the EOB. The investigators were suspicious that the recorded conversation included re- marks about the Watergate cover-up, but when the record- ing was examined, the investigators discovered that 181⁄2 minutes of the recording were obliterated by an unexplained gap consisting of audible buzz sounds but no discernable speech. Investigators suspected that someone had deliber- ately erased or recorded over that section of the tape to de- stroy the originally recorded conversation, perhaps with the intention of eliminating incriminating remarks.

John J. Sirica, Chief Judge of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, determined that the potentially altered tape required expert analysis beyond the routine capability of the court (McKnight and Weiss, 1976). He requested that the Watergate Special Prosecutor and the counsel for the president jointly nominate a group of six outside technical experts (including several ASA members) to form a special Advisory Panel on White House Tapes “...to study relevant aspects of the tape and the sounds recorded on it” (Advisory Panel on White House Tapes, 1974).

The Advisory Panel analysed the physical tape itself and the electrical signals observed on playback and, ultimately of greatest importance, performed magnetic development us- ing ferrofluid to reveal latent magnetic domain patterns on the tape and the magnetization signatures of the recording and erase heads installed in the tape recorders known to be present in the White House. The magnetic development of the tape led the Advisory Panel to the conclusion that the 181⁄2-minute gap consisted of several overlapping start-stop erasures performed with a specific tape recorder available in the White House but not the same device that was used to make the original recording (Advisory Panel on White House Tapes, 1974).” (The New York Times, 1974)

A piece of audio should be subjected to critical analysis when being used as evidence, the reliability of the audio can be questionable “Assessing the reliability of audio forensic opinions can be a challenge. Unlike DNA comparisons that can be expressed in a formal statistical sense, a forensic acoustics question such as “Is the utterance present in the evidentiary recording the voice of Suspect A?” (Maher, 2016)Especially if the audio is from a low quality source and noises can be difficult to determine.

Modern audio tools have been programmed to change the audio in order to help determine noise sources and allow for a clearer picture for the listener to make an informed critical analysis of what they are listening to. An example of these are some of the audio tools in Izotope RX. RX allows the user to see a detailed report of the audio, and then deconstruct the audio in order to enhance specific noise sources.

I have created the following example using Izotope RX.

Audio for speed detection- Speed cameras.

Kubera. E, Wieczorkowski. A, Kuranc. A, Słowik. T (2019) Discovering Speed Changes of Vehicles from Audio Data (Online)  Advance in Sensors and Sensing Systems for Driving and Transportation. Available at https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/14/3067. (Accessed 18 Nov 2020.)

I have found further research into devices and methodology utilising non-musical audio processing. This is a piece of research with the aim of using audio to detect car driving speed. Viewing the research shows that the research was successful in detecting an fairly accurate speed audio data recorded from the vehicle.  “The presented results show that even a simple feature vector, representing lines in a spectrogram, yields 90% accuracy, even though tracking these lines is difficult, and errors in these parameters are possible.” While the accuracy is high enough for the general research to be considered a success, using recorded audio to replace speed cameras in the modern world woulf be problematic and inpractical, as it is less accurate, leaving it far more open to legal disputes than speed cameras that have a lower margin of error, that are already often legally disputed for their accuracy. “Speed cameras are officially described as being calibrated to an accuracy of two per cent. However, in recent years some well-publicised court cases have hinged upon alleged inaccuracies in the speed camera evidence.” (nationalprobationservice, 2015)

Although this research at this time is not accurate enough to be used practically, one can question how this research can be expanded on to for the purpose of a practical need. In future, audio speed detectors could be used to detect speed in low visibility conditions.

Exploring these non-musical/creatives avenues has been especially useful for my practice as an audio programmer because they have shown the potential that audio signal processing can have in society, as well as show the benefits of approaching audio programming with an objective mindset. All of the devices I have found have been created for a practical use, and it is interesting to see where societal needs have been filled by audio programming and how this research can be taken further.  To become a practitioner in creating audio devices for practical solutions, an understanding of audio from an objective viewpoint is fundamental. Approaching audio in this way is essential to my practice as programming is rooted in having a logical and objective discipline. Even if one is programming a tool for the purpose of creativity, as an audio programmer, one needs to understand exactly what is happening in the program.

References

Audio Forensics Expert. (n.d.). Retrieved 12 2020, from https://www.audioforensicexpert.com/what-is-audio-forensics/

Maher, R. C. (2016). Lending an Ear in the Courtroom: Forensic Acoustics. Retrieved 12 2020, from Acoustics Today: https://acousticstoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Lending-an-Ear-in-the-Courtroom-Forensic-Acoustics-Forensic-acoustics-deals-with-acquisition-analysis-and-evaluation-of-audio-recordings-to-be-used-as-evidence-in-an-official-legal-inquiry..pdf

nationalprobationservice. (2015). nationalprobationservice. Retrieved 11 2020, from nationalprobationservice/speedcameras: https://www.nationalprobationservice.co.uk/speedcameras.html

The New York Times. (1974, 1). ext of Advisory Panel's Report to Judge Sirica on Tape Recording. Retrieved 12 2020, from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/1974/01/16/archives/text-of-advisory-panels-report-to-judge-sirica-on-tape-recording.html

[coollyinterferes]

@chinchillasinunison​​

//Hi there!! Thank you so much for trusting me to answer this question! I kinda suck at explaining things, but I’ll give it my best shot :D

I’ve indeed been rping for 13-ish years now (about 8 of those have been here on tumblr). Some of the things I’ve learned about rp over the years have been through trial and error while also discovering my own working patterns and learning to work with my partners, sometimes only through basic rp etiquette, while some others by talking things out with my partners. [I’m putting the rest under a read more for length reasons ;;;]

When it comes to inspiration, it can vary, and it might sometimes depend on the muse. One of the things I’ve come to find that helps me the most for both inspiration and actual writing and keeping myself focused is music. My muses have always worked as “minds of their own” (if that makes any sense?), so they tend to react to the same music in different ways than the rest of their “muse-brothers”. In Robert’s case, I usually just need some nice melodies, catchy tunes or just a tune/lyrics that catches his attention or conveys a feeling and actually makes him feel something to have him react to it, while it was different for some of my previous muses, as some would literally refuse to cooperate at all if the music was just not their type (like, say, playing ‘loud’ types of music for a muse who has sensitive ears, for example).

Reading is also another great source for inspiration, whether it is fanfiction, a book, sometimes even stuff from magazines, or historical and period typical stuff (some of the headcanons and stories and whatnot I’ve written for Robert have come from reading about stuff from his time), and so on, but it can sometimes depend on the sort of muse you have. Same happens with looking through fanarts and doujinshi, or even talking about the character(s) with someone else. I’ve seen plenty of my partners throughout the years draw ideas and inspiration for some of their AUs from a fanart they saw somewhere, or a comic they read (just make sure to ask for permission if you do this and to, at least, give proper credits to the original author!).

Another one that can be helpful when you feel like you’re losing your character’s voice is looking at their source material, whether they come from an anime, a manga, a videogame, or what have you. Revisiting their source material usually helps a lot, for you can sometimes find things you hadn’t noticed before, or see some you may have forgotten about, and so on. Studying your muse’s canon (esp if you’re aiming to keep them close to canon) and their motivations can be super helpful. If you’re aiming for something “canon divergent”, then you can use their canon as a base as to what paths not to follow and deviate from it in any way you want to and explore their reasonings and motivations in this new canon you’re writing for them.

Doing research can help too. Like I mentioned just above, some of the stuff I’ve written for Robert here and on my fanfics and metas and headcanons has come after doing some research about things from his time, and it was similar with some of my previous muses. One of them was a bat youkai, for example, so I’d often draw ideas from bats’ behavior and adapt them to his character. He was also a bandit who knew how to fight using scythes (kusarigama, more specifically), so some of the ideas and inspiration I’d draw would come from reading about a bandit’s lifestyle, especially those from his fandom/universe as well as learning about youkai behavior in his universe, as well as watching videos of people using similar weapons to his, reading about historical usage of said weapons and so on.

Developing some your muse’s already existing relationships with other characters can help too, as they can help you see and understand better some sides of your muse that you might not have considered before (though you might need to discuss this with a partner who rps the other muse involved first if you ever want to include that in a rp, as not everyone has the same hcs). Using that bat youkai muse I mentioned earlier as an example again, I’d often explore his only canon relationship he had with another youkai, thinking of the different scenarios that ended up bringing them together, their reasons and their motivations to stick together and so on. There’s very little about this muse in his canon, so there were huge gaps to fill and a lot of room for headcanons, really, and while I had my own hcs, some of the peeps I rped with had different ones, so it was always a matter of discussing certain things first so things could go down smoothly.

Speaking of headcanons, sometimes just wanting to fill “plot holes” or exploring things that just were never fully explored or explored at all in the canon can also serve as inspiration.

In other cases, you can find inspiration/motivation through different means. Sometimes even just by wanting to give a character the love and attention they need, which was the case of the first muse I ever had (he was a “not so popular” character from an already “not so popular” animanga). And it was also part of what made me swallow my sheer nervousness and anxiety when I first started Robert’s blog, too, as I’d often see all those misconceptions about his character going around and being taken as canon, so I really wanted to change that and make people see him for who he is. But, again, it really depends on each case.

Going out for walks, or even just travelling on the bus on your way home, and looking at the world around you can help get those ideas working. So I would ultimately suggest doing some trial and error with both, the things you know or feel like might help, as well as trying those you don’t have much hope in. You might end up finding they actually work for you!

As for a thread’s end, it depends entirely on the thread and the partner you have that thread with, if it was plotted or not and so on. If it was plotted, there’s a chance you and your partner have discussed the details of it, sometimes including the end of it, or where you wanted the thread to go. In that case, you will be able to tell more “easily” when the thread is coming to an end. For “wing it” or unplotted threads, there might be times you will be able to tell when the thread comes to an end since there might not be much else for the muses to do in it. It can happen after a few replies in, it can happen after several, it depends on the type of thread but, in the end, it will be a matter of having some communication with your partner. Most of them will tell you when they feel the thread has come to an end, even if it’s only through the tags. Sometimes a simple “i think this is a good closure for the thread. what do you think?” does the trick, for it conveys the idea while also requesting some input from your partner (in case they still want to continue the thread, have more ideas for it, and so on). Just keep in mind that there might be plenty of times when threads will get dropped without a notice, and this is pretty normal in rp in general, for sometimes one (or both) partner(s) lose interest in the thread, and that’s alright. The thing about rp is exploring different scenarios for the muses involved. Some will work, some might not. The key is to continue exploring new ideas, or maybe similar ideas but with different muses as this can lead to (sometimes vastly) different outcomes.

And I get you about getting burned out. It’s quite common to go through that when you run a rp/ask blog or literally any other blog that requires periodical updating, and especially through some difficult times like those we’re living in now with all the stuff going on around the world, however, you need to ALWAYS keep in mind that these blogs and rping and creating content in general is something you do as a hobby. The moment you start treating it as a job or a chore and that you “have to update” is the moment you need to take a step back before this sucks all the fun out of it. It’s okay if you can manage to reply everyday, or as soon as a partner posts a reply to your thread, but it’s also okay to take your time with things and to work and reply at your own pace. It’s okay to take some days off, just like it’s okay to just sometimes lurk in silence, or just be active ooc replying to ims and asks, or just reblogging stuff, or simply engaging in dashboard shenanigans and whatnot. Again, this is a hobby, meant to de-stress you, and it should always be treated as such so it doesn’t have the entire opposite effect.

This got a bit too long, but I hope to have answered your questions!! If you have any more, just shoot them my way and I’ll get to them asap! :D