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anincompletelist · 6 months

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weekend wip game! :D

thank you thank you @daisymae-12 for the tag, I SO enjoyed reading through your current projects (and everyone else's that have been floating around!) I have so many of my own that I scream about privately but I suppose I can do it publicly as well with the right persuasion (this. definitely this.) anyway -

PLEASE feel free to do this and tag me if you haven't already. I LOVE reading about yall's current projects! <3 (also much love to @welcometololaland for creating this fun game!)

I hope you're all doing well! :D

-- anincompletelist/sarah

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more). (questions for artists/gifmakers here).

1. WIP List:

[hitman alex / prince henry au]

poetry fic (literally SO much poetry this is my Baby) [computer science major alex/english major + poet henry]

coworkers/fake dating au (part of firstprince first kisses)

[journalist+escort alex/prince henry]

boxer alex au / snippet here

truman show au [henry as truman/alex as lauren] !!! partially in script format

dog walker alex au (feat. DAVID!)

abdication au [lawyer alex] LOTS of family drama/henry angst and most of it takes place on a TRAIN which for some reason to me makes it so much more intriguing

drunk dial au [based on 'dial drunk' by noah kahan - canon divergent - years after the worst breakup of either of their lives, alex manages to get himself arrested during a trip to london and the only person he can think to call is henry, his ex. (things work out, of course. I am incapable of writing unhappy endings)]

bridesmaids au (june is getting married, brother alex and best friend henry are her (rival) ‘best men’/bridesmen who are always trying to compete to give her the best wedding possible)

lots of other little drabbles and oneshots -- honestly this list grows every day but these are the main ones!!

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

poetry fic!

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

poetry for sure, but truman fic is a close second!

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

it definitely changes day-to-day, even though it stresses me out to have a lot of projects going at once (skjhdjhs) I enjoy being able to switch around between them and write whatever I'm in the mood for!

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

probably truman au. I have big plans for it and I've fleshed out the characters really well and I feel like the trope is PERFECT for alex&henry and it (to my knowledge) hasn't been done before so! I want to do them justice. also it's surpassingly fun to write scenes in script format!!!

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

all of them, to a degree (the universal Creative Experience). but I think poetry fic? it deals with some heavier themes and the characters are so special to me (it also deals with a lot of my own personal struggles and features some of my own poetry) so I worry about it being perceived well or being relatable to other people.

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

I'm not sure if I will! when I wrote in other fandoms I had a lovely friend that would look them over for me and we'd talk about them, but they don't write for this fandom and I overthink SO much that if someone gives me criticism I may just scrap the entire scene sjkhkjhd. I kind of just post and hope for the best!

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

on a steady rotation :D perks of having so many wips that I can just switch it up when I get stuck!

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

I'm fully aware I sound like a broken record but definitely poetry fic. i can’t say too much without giving away some of the plot but he’s an older man who can relate to henry in a lot of ways and kind of becomes a part of their story <3 he’s only in a couple of scenes but they’re so important to the story!

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

hitman alex for SURE, but journalist/escort is definitely a close second.

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

oh gosh, it's between hitman / abdication / poetry / boxer / and truman ?? but honestly I can't write anything without a little angst, so! I feel like there's so many elements to their dynamic that are just perfect for it (with mandatory happy ending of course)!

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

most accurate? probably poetry fic. most fun to write? hitman.

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

POETRY!!! it's literally the personification of autumn and warm blankets and falling leaves and old books and alex's cinnamon coffee (of course) and Henry runs a poetry club and they're both so soft and ugh it's just the best ever and I wish I could live in it. (in my own humble opinion).

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

as far as research goes, definitely poetry.

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

I'm not really sure. I wrote in another fandom that I always felt like everything I posted had to cater to who was going to read it and it's been extremely liberating to write for RWRB and just post what *I* like or would want to read. I don't really care about hits, but my biggest hope with anything I post is always that it makes someone else feel seen/heard/validated or brightens their day/night a little, the way that so many other fics/art have for me. <3

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

YES. I have the angstiest dreams and anytime I hurt my own feelings I wake up and write it down immediately. (ESPECIALLY with hitman and journalist recently).

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

truman au for sure. it's written in alex's pov and we only see henry through script format for the first half. I'm really excited about it, I've never written anything like it before and I think it adds such a cool element to the story (if I can figure out how to format it correctly on ao3 jhskdhj - we'll cross that bridge when we get there I suppose).

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

coworkers and dogwalker I would consider to be 'funny' fics -- lots of banter and joking with each other and general lightheartedness!

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

not currently, but I LOVED writing June's character in this fic because I have a chronic illness myself and I liked getting to explore it from an outside perspective! I also would love to explore a bit more with henry's dad and their storyline at some point as well.

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

here, have THREE!

henry's poetry club in poetry fic is called 'speak easy' and is held in an old speakeasy lounge

in the hitman fic, alex goes by the codename Ander in public

abdication au is inspired by a five minute scene in a james bond film that takes place on a train and just spun out from there kjshdjhs

YAY that was so much fun, thank you again for tagging me @daisymae-12 , had a super bad chronic illness day the last several days so this has been such a fun and much welcome distraction.

I don't have a lot of people that I know of that haven't done this, but off the top of my head -- @inexplicablymine (I know you shared wips but I'd love to hear more detail if you're interested in sharing!) @onward--upward @firstprincewrites @magicandarchery @sparklepocalypse and anyone else who comes across this post!

again, there's NO pressure at ALL but I would love to hear what y'all are working on and just what you're up to in general!

I hope all of you guys are doing well, I'm so ridiculously grateful for all of the work you guys put out and the difference that you make. have a wonderful weekend and take care! :D

#my fic #rwrb fic #rwrb fanfiction #tagged

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olderthannetfic · 2 years

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"Be a mod to make friends" anon here.

To the people being Very Upset at my suggestion, you'll remember the line about it being a bit tongue-in-cheek, and that there were a couple of lines about it being, actually, work, and not a bed of roses.

I am, after all, talking from experience ;-)

Your points about newbies being clueless are very fair, but remember that everyone has to start somewhere, and that someone launching an exchange, bingo, bang, etc isn't necessarily a fresh-faced 17yo with little people- and fandom-experience; my ask was sent thinking about folks who have been fandom denizens for a while, because that was my own situation, and who were struggling to connect, because that was the vibe I'd got from some asks on this blog. (And, I can't stress it enough, it was explicitly tongue-in-cheek. Because I am aware that it's harder than it looks! But it's true that not everyone realizes it before jumping head first into the modding work.

Yes, I'll admit I wasn't thinking of hyper-enthusiastic fans who don't realize the work ahead, but I have not met a lot in my fandoms (they skew slightly older, probably) and I generally avoided having to deal with those. Though I did advise one once, and yeah, I could tell it wouldn't be a resounding success from the start.

To go back to the initial point, while I didn't start on the mod path to make friends, I did find it a good way to be more involved in fandom and start conversations. It absolutely is a big reason why I have made more fandom friends in the last few years than I ever made in the decades prior.

However, if I'd been told "you need to have made lots of fandom friends already" and that I should first have "paid [my] dues" (I'm not sure what you meant here exactly and would welcome a clarification, because if you meant do the gruntwork of organizing the exchange itself, then you can't pay them before starting, so no one can ever be a first-time mod?), that perhaps I was suspected of "power-tripping," well... I'd never have started, and the hundreds of works created over the years for the different exchanges, bangs, etc I set up might not exist.

People gave me a chance, even when they didn't know me well (in some fandoms I'd already created fanworks, in others, not really).

It worked out all right.

Like many things in life - a new job in a new company/environment, a new city/country, making friends... - a fandom event is a leap of faith: faith that you, gifmaker/writer/artist/vidder etc will be able to fulfill your part (including warning if you have to drop out), and that the admin, too, will do their job and communicate well including if circumstances change, if they need help, etc.

The first time one sets up (or helps organizing/admining) a fandom event will be a learning experience (just as your first participation can be!), and there will be flailing at some point(s): what to do if someone is late or ghosts you, how to deal with threats... but I too was a beginner mod when I started, and lo and behold, folks still happily participate!

Of course, it's not so much a matter of age, but above all patience, level-headedness, communication skills, commitment, and organization. Those things can correlate with age, but not always ;-) I've seen badly-run events set up by Respectable Fen, and decently-run ones set up by younger people.

But not every person who says, "Hi, I'm offering my services to organize a fun exchange in this fandom; would you be interested?" is going to be a disaster.

Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no :-)

(and sorry for the loooong ask!)

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arisatominakos · 1 year

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i want your gif making lore. 7, 9, 17, 15, 20, 26, 40, 45, and 49!

dfkjaj LORE REQUEST RECEIVED

7. Who are your top 3 gif makers

ohmans thats hard khfdsa. i actually am big fans of a lot of gifmakers out there that i dont follow but i see their stuff all the time in the tags & rb from them etc etc. but like i do follow a lot of folks who’s stuff i rlly enjoy and are folks that tend to inspire me. its a bit unfair to list just three so fkjsdha uhh @aartyom @eurodynamic @onewingedangels @preciousgyro @entreri @marogarreh @thequantumranger @trident

9. What/who inspired you to start making gifs

i dont fully remember, i think a mix of just fandom stuff w/ friends & rp blogs. i do remember it was a hellacious journey until i could figure it out and since then i just have tried to keep improving or learning new things etc etc.

17. 10 sets, 8 sets, 6 sets? How many gifs to you prefer in a set

this is VERY dependent on the set im making at the time. i try to avoid like sets with a lot of images bc i get very tired with the task. but some stuff like i try to do between 2-5 so it looks nice in a post.

15. Have you ever had gifs stolen and reposted

constantly. usually its my avan gifs or star trek gifs. which is like the major reason i dont do them anymore or do a lot of non-video game slash anime sets. i tend to confront the person or ask them to take it down & it goes as well as you expect half the time: not the best. the worst time was a rp blog stealing all my avan gifs, not aware i was in the same rp circles so like tons of mutuals( most shared between the two of us ) notified me & they blocked me on said blog so i had to message them from my personal + other blogs i had at the time as well as said mutuals spoke with them as well before they took them down. it was a very frustrating day.

20. Mac or PC

i have experience with both mac & pc, however my default is my pc which is built for gaming. i’ve had mac laptops in the past via my older sister who would give me her school handmedowns. as far as specifically creating art gifs what have you, i have no preference between the two.

26. How many un posted sets are in your drafts right now

sO I KNOW A LOT OF PPL DO THAT WHERE THEY MAKE STUFF AND SAVE IT IN DRAFTS BUT IM DKSJHA i just i dont have the like mental fortitude to make something and not post it soon after. back when i was doing rp stuff & writing i used my drafts very heavily for wips & i sorta do that w/ gifsets in a way. as i make them i have a opened draft to upload each one to see how they look on tumblr, if they upload correctly, & to check coloring between my main monitor secondary monitor & phone as well so i make sure colors are good theres no washes etc. so usually if there is something in the drafts im currently working on it or its about to be posted so there are zero things in my drafts other than this ask kfsha

40. Why do you make gifs

good question. no clue. fkjhdsa but its fun & i enjoy it. its also just fun to share my interests in a way that can be shared by other people in reblogs etc. reading the tags of my sets & seeing ppls reactions or just opinions or whatever is just it rlly makes it. I Make Gifs For The People.

45. Ever gotten hate over a set

i’ve had ppl disrespect me bc of a gifset but ive never gotten hate persay. i do get a lot of bitchy people upset about my “do not repost or remove caption.” that i add to my posts which like i tend to ignore. realistically i cant stop ppl from doing such but it has helped so i keep doing it. usually i get a comment on said set they reblogged that day or in the tag but ive gotten 1 ask once about it & it was p funny. but proper hate with a valid reason ? nah.

49. How much would you say you’ve improved since you first started giffing

oH SO MUCH LOL. from coloring, to timing of the frames, to composition, to typography, to quality. the more i make the better i get. && there are things i want to redo to see how much i’ve improved. im not using the best tools to make these, but i’ve seen my improvement i’ve seen how much better i am & it’s rlly nice to be able to visually see your growth.

/ GIFMAKER ASKS

#farllee.asks #fashionablyfyrdraaca #yEAH THANKS FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS

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pharawee · 2 years

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15, 25, 35 for the ask game ❣️

Thank you so so much! 😊😊

Colour(s) you dislike:

I think any kind of colour or colour combination can look amazing under the right circumstances. Personally, I can’t seem to pull off anything pastel so I don’t even try lmao

What would you like to see others learn how to do?

As in, what should other gifmakers look into? Idk... everyone has their own tastes/preferences/way of doing things so who am I to tell others what to do. But hm... I think people would do well to be more aware of whitewashing or how various (but especially non-white) skintones work in photo editing. I know, it’s mostly not done on purpose (or I guess, put less politely, white is seen as the default so why adjust for other skintones - as famously practiced by companies like Kodak for decades 😕), and people might not even know how fix their adjustments layers etc but it’s definitely something important to get into. And I know, a lot of esp Thai shows use brightening filters themselves but those can actually be (somewhat) corrected with whatever photo editing software you use, as well.

Gif makers, what is your go to frame delay? (And why?)

I usually use a delay of 0,1 because I like my gifs to be a bit slower than the original file. It depends on the source file, though. I extract frames instead of putting the file directly into photoshop and for a standard file I capture every second frame, which cuts down on file size but doesn’t look choppy.

#ask game #jane makes stuff

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zackmartin · 2 years

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Gif making question whats the best length for a gif to be? Anytime i gif i fear its either too short or too long

Hi! I’ve been gifmaking for about six years, but I still consider myself an amateur in every sense of the word, so I would take what I say with a grain of salt, but I don’t think there’s really a hard and fast rule when it comes to the length of the gif, it more has to do with the size.

(whenever I get asks about gifmaking, I usually like to explain in way that anyone that’s an absolute beginner can follow, so forgive me if it feels like I’m tediously over explaining things you’re already aware of)

I’m gonna put this under a read more cause it got a little long, apologies in advance.

Right now I think Tumblr’s limit for gifs is 10 MB, but they do bump it up from time to time. I have heard from other gifmakers that having a gif be close to the limit can cause the quality to go way down, so I’ve seen some others recommend keeping them below 7-8 MB if possible. I know when it comes to myself, idk if it’s my internet connection or tumblr itself, but my gifs on the bigger side tend to come out moving kinda slowly, even if I have them set at a faster speed, so that’s something I usually keep in mind as well.

Obviously if your gif has a lot of frames, this is going to result in a bigger size. Add in coloring layers, sharpening, etc, and ofc this is going to effect the size as well. I really think it comes down to personal preference plus the size of the gif itself. I tend to not let my gifs go past 80 frames, but even that is usually in the most extreme cases. (and even then, sometimes when I’m done with the coloring and all that, it ends up being too big anyway and I need to cut back on the number of frames). I think I usually average between 25-55 frames, but that’s just a really rough ballpark figure.

I will say, though, that having your gif be too few frames can make the gif look very choppy. For example, the gif below only has ten frames (I just made this gif literally just now to show you an example of this, so there’s no coloring on it at all. I literally cropped, sharpened, set the frame rate, resized, and that’s it.):

I think that looks really jarring and rough and I am not a fan of it at all, so I try to make sure my gifs have at least a minimum of I’d say, 20 frames? (again, these are just rough guesstimates).

(sometimes there are those rare occasions where you don’t have a choice but have the gif be just a few frames, like say, if you’re giffing a certain actor in a movie trailer or something. Sometimes they’re in a scene that’s only a few seconds long, so you can’t have the gif be more than 10 frames, because well, they’re aren’t more than 10 frames. In that case, I would suggest slowing the gif down significantly. For that, I might use 0.08 as the speed, or even 0.1 - 0.2 depending, as that will just help make the gif look much less jarring. Those speeds are really slow, though, so I wouldn’t recommend them for longer gifs.) (unless you’re going for a really slow look. sometimes people will use a slower speed on like, fancy edits, or lyric gifsets or something, so again, it’s really down to what you personally think looks nice.)

Anyway, my recommendation would be to just play around with gifs of certain lengths and see what you like/prefer while paying attention to the overall size.

I hope I was able to answer your question at least somewhat, but if you need clarification on anything or have any other questions, don’t hesitate to reach out! 💕

#asks #anon asks #sorry if this isn't helpful. I tried

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girlfriendsofthegalaxy · 2 years

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tuesday again 1/18/22

as a favor to me, could you all pretend there’s a funny tagline here

listening chartreuse, boy jr. a tuesdaysong in the purest sense of the word bc it references our favorite day of the week. this song wants to be three different songs but it’s trying a lot of interesting things at once and i want to commend that. sort of a bohemian rhapsody by way of sad she/they?

Drowning in your greens and blues Guess I'm just obsessed with you (with you) Drunk and it's a Tuesday afternoon Guess I'm just obsessed with you (with you)

i forgot tumblr hates to play nice with bandcamp here’s a link

ugh they have fantastic thighs

reading like fellow tuesdayposter @blysse-and-blunder , i am attempting to have fewer tabs open on my phone but mine is in anticipation of getting a new phone next paycheck. i have a policy of not doing fanfic recs on this thing, but it’s interesting to move through the strata of the last few months- a whole bunch of f/f/f for research purposes, a lot of genshin, some metropolis, a tremendous amount of starred wars.

i’m kind of fascinated with this article about “low-sodium” fan reddits? boards? groups? i shy away from reddit like a spooked horse

bc i wish this existed for some of the fandoms i do not engage with much (genshin, although it might already exist i have not looked for it) bc in some of the fandoms i do not engage with much (genshin) talking about the lore of the game world is very tied up with the politics of the game world and the politics of our real world. sometimes that’s a whole bunch of weird shit around hong kong independence. like yeah it’s pretty clear that one game area in genshin isn’t fantasy switzerland, it’s fantasy hong kong, but also you’re all like fifteen and i do not care to have a geopolitics discussion with you about what you think revolutionary tactics are.

bc this game is free to play and leans heavy on RNG and gacha, the fanbase leans extremely young and in many cases it’s baby’s first free to play. so there are a lot of unusual expectations. i just want to look at cosplay breakdowns and lore discussions. i am aware the game is a pretty puff pastry that’s also super predatory. i contain multitudes. it has a hot pirate lady what was i supposed to do

watching red river (dir. Hawks, 1948) gang ive found another cowboy movie to be completely normal about. look at these assholes. i want them to be happy.

mr cherry valance is the perfect sort of bisexual-that-hides-all-their-sharp-edges-under-languid-innuendo that is perfectly tailored for me to make bad decisions about in real life

this is very much a daddy issues film, which was less cathatric than i thought it would bc i want my daddy issues to end in a very specific way that is NOT forgiveness and pretending nothing ever happened. anyway heads up that most of the tension is from shitty parenting, and the film would not exist without it and it’s very well executed but was for me, personally, a thing to add to the doesthedogdie page.

apparently this movie got kind of sliced and diced in production bc the actors above (john ireland and montgomery clift) Did Not Get Along with Hawks or their costar John Wayne. when people make excuses about old actors like “that’s just how it was back then!!!” i would like to point to folks like Wayne, who was considered to have unpleasant political opinions during most of his working career.

please expect me to be completely normal about this some more whenever i get a copy of the novel in my grubby little hands (gifmaker and fellow cowboy enjoyer @nicolodigenova has offered to procure an ebook for me, i also found a pretty rough paperback copy on ebay for $7 so that’ll get to me uh. whenever the post office decides it does you’re doing terrific sweeties take your time)

playing nuka cola world dlc for fo4. i have realized the ideal use case for the game is clearing exactly one location on my lunch break. it has completely supplanted genshin impact. i have not played genshin since right before the last update. this is probably good for my brain long term but the thing is: fo4 is also not good.

i am having a good time running around as the silver shroud. did you know you get unique dialogue in nuka world if you bop around as the shroud???

i like the roller coaster’s reflection on the protectron’s visor even if that was very much not the direction it was facing

making my mental health is hanging by a fucking thread, and the thread is this rug. evil lair decoration counts as making this week bc i’m fuckin busy

#tuesday again #tuesday again no problem

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hickeys-dickey · 3 years

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Pls share your thoughts about the gays in THAT scene… I would love to read them!

Ahh you are too kind, I am but a little swiss cheese brain but I'll try my best to sum up my thoughts, I have too many! I wanted a chance to grab some screenshots too! I'm going to put a read more because this is a long one buckle up lads.

So obviously the whole punishment for Hickey is designed to humiliate him (I would imagine this is one of the reasons his punishment isn't explained to him, because if Hickey truly was a naval petty officer he would know, and I think it's another way for Crozier to essentially say "I see you" and not in a good way). The fact we're not shown the other whippings shows the importance lies in the scene with Hickey.

I've seen a bit of discussion about his charge of "dirtiness", which isn't listed initially when we see him being questioned by the Captains, and whether or not it alludes to homosexuality but on a quick cursory search it does seem to have been used as a euphemism where an outright accusation of sodomy would mean a death sentence. The way Crozier throws it out there, no doubt to heap the humiliation onto Hickey and add crimes to the list to cover the fact he added lashes on to the punishment essentially for a bruised ego (but that's another matter), suggests a whole lot of venom to the accusation. Hickey's pointed look at Irving and Irving's quick shift of his gaze down suggests they both know exactly why Crozier has listed this among Hickey's list of crimes, and Hickey looks furious for it.

But I think this is also ultimately where the panic begins to set in. Again, there are far greater minds than me who have made excellent posts about queer coded characters in the terror, and I think it's no surprise that most of them are the faces that are focused on in this scence. It is clear long before this moment that Crozier's leadership is lacking, and people have already begun to voice concerns fairly loudly. Tozer for one is livid in the wake of Heather being injured, and the marines have clearly started distancing themselves from both the officers and the men. I feel like this scene, for a lot of characters is a point of major shift in either allegiences or character.

Tozer and the Captains are the first faces that are panned to in this scene and I think the expressions speak for themselves.

Tozer is visibly upset/concerned after the first lash. I do think guilt probably has a part to play, in that is was him whole told Hickey where Silna was, and presumably approved enough of the plan to not rat him out to anyone. Again, very probably part of Tozer's anger at Heather being injured due to what he sees is Crozier's poor management. Fitzjames is stoney faced, but is also the only one looking. As a man who many have noted pushes himself to pick emotional scabs, I think it would make sense for someone who is also notably queer coded and stuggles with trauma to make himself look directly at someone being whipped for a crime he himself might commit. Crozier isn't even looking, whether out of suddenly doubting his harshness or simply triggering something in his own memory it's not clear. I think the end of this shot also speaks for itself.

(Fig 1. Three Concerned (very likely not straight) men contemplate)

The lads at the back behind Mr. Johnson are all looking Directly At the whipping as it is taking place. Interestingly none of the men at the front near the table are looking. This is the stewards, officers, and marines. Whether out of respect or also Concern at their own skins (I think every one of these characters has been addressed as being queer coded at some point, minus the marines who are all, except Tozer, fairly nameless characters).

I'm not a gifmaker which is unfortunate for this section, though this is what is gifed in the beautiful gifset by sashneeka I reblogged (x). Tommy is also visibly upset, whether because he knows Tozer was involved in the plot to kidnap Silna and is concerned for him and any of the rest of the crew who had assisted in someway or voiced support. Billy interestingly does look briefly, and sets his jaw after in a way that suggests he's trying to fight the guilt of being the one to tell Irving about the whole affair with Hickey to paint himself in a better light. It could just as easily be Billy there on that table being lashed, but he somehow rationalises it in his head (probably because Hickey is a little bastard) that he was right in what he did. He does look down fairly guiltily after this, so maybe he hasn't quite settled on an opinion. Jopson also looks incredibly concerned/unsettled, and interestingly looks at Hickey right up until the whip hits where he flinches, and not for the only time in this scene. From what we know about Jopson's past, though not at this point, it may well be he is remembering similar punishment/mistreatment and like Fitzjames looks enough to pick the scab open and flinch from his own trauma.

The closeup of Hickey shows the full extent of his rage and humiliation building, and as I think Adam himself said, they whipped something out of Hickey that day and let him reach this potential that lay inside him (to become an even bigger bastard). He's fully severed all ties and feelings of loyalty after this and it becomes full on train to manipulation station from this point. I have a lot of Thoughts about Hickey also (which I am sure you are all aware of) but I think there was some semblance of Hickey attempting to start afresh on this journey, or at the very least keep his head down and go unnoticed. The trouble is, he notices Crozier as a flawed man, and one not from the upper classes like himself, and his ego can't help but think we're not so different, that could be me with the right connections. Well surprise lads, its murder time now and he's gonna make this old man pay for not recognising initiative but punishing it. I do wonder if Crozier wasn't booze sick and rattled from losing even more men under his command, would he not have come down so harshly for someone clearly defying the Articles to do what he thinks is right and save the men (a la Crozier and his fuck you I'm directly contradicting an order and leading this rescue party myself).

Tozer gets another wee closeup here and again looks like he has resolved something in his head too. Most likely that he thinks Crozier an unfit leader, and admiring Hickey for having the balls to do what he did (Hickey also never reveals anyone else who came with him, and when he talks about Hartnell and Mason's part in taking Silna it highlights their skill and bravery and (he thinks) commends them to the Captain. It's probably the only time we see him building up and applauding others). He looks dead ahead here and seems to have a very steely gaze, like yep fuck it looks like I'm going it alone now. It is interesting that Tozer goes from this to notably disliking Hickey (both at the start and when they are packing up - "you've just given me an excuse to give a big shove". This might be anger at Hickey having caused all the issues with Silna after the fact when Heather gets killed at Carnivale), but still follows him in the end. Hickey has the ability to kill, manipulate, steal, basically do whatever needed for their group to get ahead, which means Tozer can be part of the group and not have to dirty his own hands. I think Tozer probably has a complicated relationship with Hickey, but he does fall for the charm hook, line, and sinker, and the fact he seems concerned for him here suggests how easily he is sympathetic to those he sees as being wronged.

Gibby getting Hickey's blood on his hand (ayy) seems to visibly make him blanch, and I do find it interesting that the shot then pans to Tommy as though they are looking at each other when they are stood side by side. The similarities between them maybe? (I've seen and reblogged a lot of discourse about Tommy loving Tozer, maybe another nod to no one being so different to the man on the table?) Irving doesn't get much of a close up in the rest of this scene but bless him he looks equal parts terrified and guilty (another man who has been noted as having a list of many things to distract from the Gay Thoughts like why do you need to distract from Gay Thoughts Irving?). He also has the Far Off Look of trauma about him, probably because he too could just as easily be on that table.

I have many many thoughts about the way Hickey turns to look (and fucking smile???) at Crozier next, which is when Crozier is looking directly at him and Fitzjames looks at him. Like if I were Crozier I think my fucking blood would chill, look at this man. Being humiliated and lashed still hasn't broken him, if anything he has just become fully unhinged and looks at Crozier as though to say "did you really think this would work?". I would also say, this man has fairly quite for someone who is at this stage something like 22 lashes in? Like what the actual fuck Hickey?? I fully belive Hickey to be a psycopath, and most of what he does in the beginning of the series is an attempt to stay hidden until they get to Hawaii and he can ditch the crew, but I think it is fairly safe to say he isn't hiding it any more.

And he knows this is going to make the men doubt Crozier - I can't do a proper search because I am using my work laptop atm, but I seem to remember reading that a punishment greater than 12 lashes required a court martial (probably why Little steps in to say so when Crozier orders his punishment as well as them technically being lost at sea), which would be another strike against him as a Captain. Not only that, but Crozier does seem to grant him some mercy in letting him only be lashed I think 23 or so times? Probably because the tension is fucking palpable in this whole scene and Crozier can either choose to claw back some sense of control on the matter, or deal with the consequences of many people admiring Hickey for what he has done for the crew and start a mutiny. I think this is the first time Fitzjames sees the damage Crozier is doing to himself with his choices as Captain, and is probably just as concerned at the look Hickey is giving him. He knows this has unleashed something in this tiny rat bastard too, and that he will become the physical manifestation of Crozier's self-destructive tendancies. Crozier perpetually comes to everything just a fraction too late to change anything - he never saves any of the men, only comforts them as they die, and a lot of this has to do with his own ego and bad decision making, and I think this is the first example here of the fact his actions are having an effect on others to the point it will be his downfall.

Anyway, to round it off, I think this scene really epitomises the notion that Hickey is a mirror to the rest of the men, and they see their flaws in him. Those who have questioned Crozier's captaincy look concernced knowing they too could be being lashed. They too would have tried to get Silna to stop the Tuunbaq hunting them. Those who are queer or queer coded know they too could be being lashed for it. Crozier himself sees his unwillingness to follow the Articles in him, sees his own insubordination, and feels what Sir John meant when he said his position afforded him deference. Hickey may as well be a metaphor for all the men being lashed, theres not one among them who haven't voiced wanting to do what he has done. Let them without sin and all that. This is make or break for who holds loyalty to the Captain, and the turning point for who is going where. I think everyone except Jopson, Irving and Fitzjames ends up in the mutineers camp, and Irving ends up killed and mutilated by Hickey and Fitzjames is scavanged by them. Theres not one of them that isn't haunted by what happened in this scene, and Hickey would end up being the death of every single one of them. The only one who remains loyal after this is Jopson, who thinks his care and duty to the Captain can outweigh his other sins. Fitzjames and Crozier have a stronger relationship once he recovers from his withdrawal, yes, but Fitzjames also keeps him in check now (I'm thinking of Edward Little being threatened with flogging again because of course I am), and it is another step too late for Crozier's self-destruction. I've seen a Hickey/Fitzjames Christ analogy on here before too, so I hope you'll forgive me in comparing them, but Hickey in this scene really does get punished for everyone else's crimes in this scene, and becomes a sort of Christ-like figure, reborn as a complete version of the worst of himself from the pain of being lashed. They whipped something out of him!! Anyway, that about sums it up!

#long post #thank you for asking I could talk about the nuances of the terror for days #hickey thoughts

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silverduckie · 2 years

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So, I’m sorry if I sound like a bitch (I’m in a lot of pain today so I’m aware I sound very snippy when I’m in pain and it is not intentional so lemme address it right away), but if you’re not disabled, please stop speaking over people who are actually disabled. I can’t speak for everyone, obviously, but I literally 99/100 times I just want abled people to just let me speak for myself, and keep their mouths shut the entire time.

I have chronic nerve pain (among other things, including a boatload of mental illnesses, an autoimmune disease that usually leaves me ill for a month+ any time someone in my bubble leaves my bubble, and chronic fatigue). On my best days I’m in pain til the moment I wake up til the moment I go to bed, but I can push through it. On my bad days (like today) I need a whole slew of meds to even get out of bed but once I’m moving I suffer throughout my day and try to avoid picking anything I don’t want broken up with my hands too long because my hands will randomly drop stuff and I know now that they will destroy my favorite mug if I pick it up. On my worst days, getting out bed is something that simply does not occur. It’s sucks the majority of the time, but you know what? I still have to wake up every fucking morning and try to go about my day.

And for me? Gif making is a huge part of it. Does it physically hurt to do a lot of the time? YES! Is it the thing that makes me happiest in the world? Yes! And I’m aware not everyone like me would be willing to put their bodies through this (on top of untreated ADHD and chronic fatigue, mind you, both of which brings another slew of issues), and that’s okay!

However it’s also okay for gifmakers to put what limitations on their gifs they need to as well. Be it charging for them, putting them behind a password, or privatizing them (which is entirely different, my private gifs I don’t care who asks me for them - they’re mine, I hurt for them and I made the call I don’t want to share them with the public). I don’t share or post my anon hate, because frankly they don’t deserve the attention they crave, and my mutuals don’t need to see that shit - they deserve to scroll their dash in peace, but frankly you people can’t traumatize content creators with your constant harassment, and then get mad at them for limiting their content’s usage. There are consequences for your actions (and inaction is an action too).

And I dunno it’s sorta really frustrating (hence why I’m typing this even tho I’m in a lot of pain) when people are like “okay but what about disabled people - they can’t make their own gifs.” Actually… We can, and we do, and it says more about you as a person for assuming I can’t and I don’t than it does about anyone saying “if you want guaranteed access to gifs, you need to make your own.” The harsh reality is for a lot of us, everything we do is hard. Getting up, going out in public where’s there’s no seating to rest, etc etc - but we have to do it anyway. If I want to eat, I have to go to the store. If I want to pee, I need to force myself to walk upstairs to the bathroom even on my worst days. If I want unrestricted control over the gifs I use, I need to make them myself. And before anyone says “you’re strong for…” stop it, don’t even finish that sentence. I literally just do what I need to survive just like you. I’m not your fucking inspiration porn, and treating me like I am is literally infantilizing.

Again I can’t speak for everyone like me, and if there’s anyone in the same boat as I am who’d like to have a polite productive conversation please dm me (off anon), I’d love to chat. Abled people… please just keep your mouths shut, I don’t want your hot take. This subject isn’t in your lane, and I don’t think I need to remind you what happens to the other car when you drive in their lane and refuse to stay in your own…

#long post #anyway pls stop talking over actually disabled people #i might drop everything but I can figure out how to hold my own sword thanks #this is in regard to the current gif drama bc ive been legit stewing for two days over one anon on my dash

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seethestarsalittlecloser · 3 years

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Time to Shine Thursday

So there’s a new event going around the fandom that, in light of Tumblr’s dwindling support for content creators, I’m all too happy to participate in! I was tagged by @lightasthesun, who’s a lovely person you should definitely check out.

From her post:

“This tag game was created in hopes of reaching at least a few people and creating more awareness for the creator-side of tumblr. Time to Shine Thursday is inspired by these posts and meant to be for all artists alike: writers, editors, poets, GIF makers, cartoonist etc. This is me giving you all an excuse to show off!

Only rule: Be as thirsty for attention as you want to be! Link one of your old fics/art pieces or one that didn’t didn’t get enough attention, link a work you loved to create or share a draft from your newest WIP. Or do all of these. Be greedy. Show your art. Crave attention. Be proud. And don’t forget to give your friends an excuse to show off theirs!

Additional note: Please consider dropping one of your favorite hidden gems by an other author along with your own work so others can enjoy it as well and so that it doesn’t stay buried any longer!”

Now more than ever, lets give our content creators some love!

If you’re not already, check out these wonderful gifmakers, writers, artists, edit-makers, poets and cosplayers who all bring me joy: @clownakin, @kyber-erso, @skywalking-across-the-galaxy, @manmehakkaur, @no-human-has-legs-that-skinny, @elliewritesstories, @lilabard, @midnightlie, @minniepresents, @laciefuyu, @fictionisalwaysbetter, @midnight-wonder, @shadowmaat, @captainfaultyprogramming, @arya-durin-51, @suja-janee

As for me, I’m a writer mostly but I’ve also recently gotten into doing art and have created an art blog @niyama-art. I also (very occasionally) post poetry on my sideblog @faedontfearthecold. Also, for those of you who haven’t found it yet, here’s my AO3.

I’m going to share a snippet of a WIP that’s a companion piece to Through All the Watches of the Night:

‘I am Darth Vader,’ the monster says. ‘The Emperor sends his regards.’

Rex feels the deep resonance of that mechanical voice in his chest. The shrieking hiss of a lightsaber shatters the moment of petrified silence following that statement and then the screaming starts. With the sudden visceral certainty that is brothers’ lives were on the line, Rex doesn’t stop to watch the carnage, turning to Jesse and Payt. ‘Go. Now.’

The three of them take off in unison. In the corner of his eye, Rex spots Haat tearing across rooftops with his new sniper rifle slung across his back. Someone behind them must spot the movement because a heart-stoppingly familiar voice cries, ‘Over there!’ and two of the monster’s honour guard peels off from the slaughter, chasing after them and Rex fights the urge to be ill because they’re clones-

Blasterfire from their pursuit shatters the air above Rex’s head and he ducks, swerving back and forth to make himself a more difficult target. He doesn’t fire back. He can’t.

‘We’re not gonna lose them!’ Payt growls as he sprints for the short space between two buildings. If they can make it out into the city, they’ll get lost in the crowd - although clone armour sticks out like a sore thumb these days, it’ll be something.

Payt gets hit in the shoulder and he cries out. He doesn’t fall, but stumbles, turns and starts firing back.

‘Payt!’ Jesse cries, agast.

‘I am not gonna die today!’ Payt bellows, and Rex hears a clone cry out and a body hit the ground behind him.

His chest heaves and his whole body burns with the effort to keep moving. He doesn’t look back. He can’t.

- Quiet in the Jet Black (Watches’verse 2, WIP)

#may speaks #may writes #seethestarsalittlecloser #*my WIPs #time to shine thursday #*my ocs

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jameszmaguire · 3 years

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CREATOR TAG MEME

tagged by the lovely @andyoudoctor, thank you Myra!!

rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

It has been a very slow year for this main blog of mine, mainly because I got back into the Umbrella Academy in March, opened a sideblog for it and most of my creative output was on there. I still managed to scrape together five gifsets that I love for this year, and here they are!

1. Aziraphale being cute and adorable

I legit think I peaked in gifmaking with the very first gifset of the year. I made this late in 2019 but kept it to be my first post of the decade, excitedly (what different times it was!). This really was a gifset I’d been thinking of making since first watching Good Omens, because I just adore Michael Sheen’s performance and the very unique charm he brings to the character. He is so charismatic and sweet, and I wanted to capture that in a gifset. I really love the colouring on it with its soft pinks and beiges. It still makes me smile every time I look at it.

2. Let’s Dance: Best of Moritz & Renata Dances

I think this one is my ultimate manifesto as a gifmaker, because it is purely a labour of love. I knew this was not going to get any notes, because there is no fandom on Tumblr for this show. Making gifs of these two made me find the one person on this site who loves them, and that’s enough. This gifset now stands at exactly 3 notes. There are over a hundred frames for all gifs but one. The colouring is some of the most beautiful I’ve ever done. And it was all made for me, because I love this so much that I wanted to spend creative energy on them. And sometimes that’s all that matters.

3. Select Marvel Characters I Love

I have fallen out of love with Marvel, especially the MCU. I just don’t care about the overabundance of interconnected content, it is tiring and repetitive and just not for me anymore. But there are still characters from Marvel that I adore and have adored for a very long time, and so when I got a make me choose ask to pick between Marvel and DC, I picked Marvel, because Marvel has Nightcrawler. And also some other characters I really love, some select shows and movies and comics I still can come back to, like X-Men Evolution, X2 or Thor:Ragnarok, and Noto’s Black Widow or Fraction’s Hawkeye. And I made this really pretty black and white gifset with the characters I love in the iterations I love them in, and I still like it a lot.

4. Orla for Maria

Is it a cheat if it’s something I finished today? But I am very proud of this gifset I made for my dearest friend on this site, the lovely Maria. I always edit something for her birthday because I’ve been doing it for so long, and it always makes me happy to make something nice for someone else. I also just think the colouring on this gifset turned out so much prettier than I thought it was going to, so I’m very happy with it. And Orla is just so cute in these moments, it’s a good gifset.

5. Vanya in Blue

This is the first colour gifset I made for the Umbrella Academy, after the black and white gifset that unfortunately made me very quickly aware of the existence of F*veya. I like this one so much more. For the first time trying to colour this show, I think it holds up so well. I really love the blues I worked with, the moments I picked, and just Vanya in general. There are gifsets I like more on my TUA sideblog, and I will do this list for the creations there too, but this gifset? I’m still very proud of it.

Most creators I know have already done this one, so if you’ve done this already, feel free to ignore this: @evakant, @princess-marida, @bosemanchadwick @knifeears

#personal #Lizzie's sharing her thoughts

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rhodeys · 4 years

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Hi, I hope you're having a great day! I was wondering, how do you make your gifs? What software do you use?

aaaa, thank you! i hope you're having a good one too! 💖

also, djsjd i feel like i am literally the worst person you could ask on gifmaking tips because i only started gifmaking a month ago, and i'm still getting around to the basics so my process is a whole... mess™ and explaining it would probably take you on a confusing loop, sooo, for a more defined process i'd suggest going through the main 'gif tutorial' tag - there are a lot of talented gif-makers who've put up their processes, their colouring techniques, all of them attached with step-by-step images, and has pretty much everything you'll need to get started! :D

buuuut, for the software part of the question, i might be able to help! i use Photoshop CS6 for my gifs, and for the screencaptures i'd suggest using KMPlayer or PotPlayer!

as far as i'm aware, it hugely depends on your preferences and how the video players work on your device. i initially started off with KMPlayer, but my dumb ass messed with the settings and instead of figuring out how to reverse it, i just downloaded PotPlayer, and so far it's been working really well! so yeah, as of october i've been using PotPlayer and its a+++ 😌

#this probably didn't help at ALL #BUT I CAN SEND YOU SOME REALLY GREAT TUTORIALS IF YOU'D LIKE????! THE WHOLE PROCESS AND EVERYTHING #fjsjjdjd sorry i couldn't be more help!!#but thank you for the ask im glad you reached out to me!! 💖#asks #ever-so-change-able

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silvertechnicolor · 4 years

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I enjoy watching your content because is pleasing and informative to look at. 🥺🥺🥺 Also, can I ask you a question? Given to the situation were in I am trying to edit some gifs but don’t know how. In the sense of what programs to use and such. Any advice? And have a nice day!

Hello! Thank you very much for your ask, it’s always so lovely to know the content is appreciated! :) I make my GIFs with Photoshop, which is pretty standard. I’m well aware this is a paid software so if you are starting out and don’t have Photoshop, it might be tricky. BUT there are some others ways that you can check out here. Now, with Photoshop. The most informative and comprehensible tutorial I have found is here. This looks like A LOT and crazy complicated but I promise you it’s not. Take your time, read every line of that post and you will be making gifs in no time! Also make sure you try to use footage at the highest quality possible. I know it’s not always possible (my archive footage for GIFs rarely goes higher than 480p) but for movies or shows, try to get a copy that’s HD (1080p) at a minimum. The size of the file is a good indicator of how crisp the footage will be. Over 2-3GB is a good start for a feature film but obviously you might find some films at 12GB(!) - which is a bit mad and it depends if you can (or want!) to store huge files like this. It might slow your computer down so for practice maybe stick with smaller files until you’re comfortable making GIFs. Finally there are SO many much more GIFted GIFmakers than myself out there who would be able to help I’m sure. When you spot a tumblr you like, search their page for asks about tutorials or how-to. Here’s a list of resources to get you going: The tutorial I mentioned above Another GIF tutorial using a different technique I hope this helped and come back to link me when you publish some GIFs! :)

#Anonymous

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scratchybeardsweetmouth · 5 years

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struggle between maturity and pettiness regarding fanwork sources.

over the years i’ve learned the importance of reblogging straight from the source, adding sources or adding credit to both original and fan-works, or as much as possible not posting a work at all if i cannot find the source. first, i’ve hurt a few before and got into trouble for being naive. second, for original art, well, it might catch the eye of headhunters, giving an opportunity for the artist to shine or heck make money possibly. one also realizes that when the news show footage they always mention the source especially if it is not theirs because they know exactly who to be grateful for in capturing an important moment they were not able to. most celebrities also credit fanworks when they share them on twitter or other social media because of the awareness in the labor behind creating something.

in tumblr it’s simpler really - most people create photo manipulations and gifs from copyrighted content. this copyrighted content more often than not is downloaded via torrent illegally (free!) than ripped from original DVDs bought online/offline. frames or screenshots are then obtained from these conveniently but illegally downloaded videos, edited, then posted as photo edits or gifs.

now sometimes i really want to rant going HEY YOU COPY-PASTED MY FRIGGING CREATION AND POSTED IT ELSEWHERE WITHOUT CREDIT, but also, i know i frigging obtained frames illegally in the first place. but then again, i know i spent a lot of time editing those to make them as pretty as i could at the time, in order to add aesthetics and possibly emotional weight to the final product. this is the same process for most gifmakers and photo-edit manipulators out there. STILL, I USED ANOTHER RESOURCE TO MAKE THEM THEREFORE I’M NOT 100% CREDIBLE.

it’s not like fanart and fanfic which are absolutely CREATED FROM SCRATCH by the artists, apart from being inspired by original content, so they are not really obtaining anything illegally to create their gems.

i’m torn in trying to reprimand people for not including the source but also completely aware how utterly hypocritical it is of me to tell people off when the only reason i was able ‘create’ is because my footage didn’t come from me originally. so really i should just ignore.

what spurned this nonsense? it’s the photo manipulation of dany and jorah lying down next to each other i did 7 years ago that i see floating in my dashboard once again. (SEVEN YEARS AGO GET OVER IT, SELF). the notes the repost received is now bigger in number than the original post. did the op meant any harm? no, because op is mentioning nothing but love for the piece and even states it was not the op’s work. on the other hand, the fact that a reblog from @coffeewithsugarplease showing that the latter found out it was from me was remarkable to see, and to this user i am in gratitude for the mention. am i glad the repost is getting love? absolutely! am i sad it’s not getting love the way i want it to? yes, pettily. very stupidly pettily. (this is even the better version of a repost. some users straight up repost without credit, without mentioning it’s not their creation, and will fight you to the death about still making the creation available in their blogs)

LIKE, THEY’RE ONLY SHOWING LOVE, YOU KNOW, SO SHUT UP SELF.

#personal #it's not that deep #let it go and move on...#useless rant that i do every few years lol #frustratingly something i always think about #hopefully one day i'll just go meh on this

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sebastiianstan · 6 years

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Tumblr content school: why you don’t always get notes and how to (potentially) get a bit more

So in recent weeks, I’ve seen quite a few posts floating around that centre around the same subject: content creators, mainly gifmakers, not gaining followers as quickly as they would like to and/or not getting as many notes on their original content as they would like to. Most recently I’ve seen people share their like-to-reblog ratio, with a call to users to also reblog content instead of just liking it, which would result in more exposure and recognition for the creator.

Now, while all of those feelings are perfectly valid and you’re obviously allowed to post whatever you like on your blog, the conversation around this is quite unnuanced and, at times, a bit uninformed. I’m not claiming to be some kind of expert, but having been a content creator (gifmaker) on this platform for quite a few years, with my own small share of popular gifsets floating around and having built both my own blog an two fansites/group blogs to at least moderate success, I do think I have a certain degree of insight re: getting notes, so I thought I’d put in my two cents. Please note that I’m not making this post to be condescending in any way, or even to tell you what to do/how to create content, but I thought I’d help as much as I can, based on my own experience.

Below the cut are 1. reasons why I think gifsets don’t always get the number of notes you wanted/expected them to, and 2. tips on creating and posting content in a way that will potentially get you more notes.

Why you might not be getting (a lot) of notes

So let’s start with some general trends re: gifsets not getting as many notes as you’d like/expect, and not as many as they would have maybe a few years ago.

1. Tumblr is past its peak

Based on experience, I’d say fandom Tumblr reached its peak in 2015-2016, and was riding that out in 2017. I’ve mainly been a Marvel blog in recent years, so I can’t speak for other fandoms, but Tumblr was... wild in the lead-up to and aftermath of Captain America: Civil War (2016). Wonder Woman (2017) was a similar situation on the DC side of things.

New Marvel releases (like Ant-Man & The Wasp, Avengers: Infinity War and probably most notably, Black Panther) still get a lot of traction and fandom definitely isn’t dead on Tumblr, but I feel like 2015-2016 were definitely peak years. I only recently returned from a year-long hiatus; I stopped being active in late 2017 and even then my dashboard wasn’t quite as active as it was a year before that. Upon returning here about a month ago, most of my mutuals from back in the day had also become inactive and a lot of gifmakers I used to follow were not creating content anymore.

So it boils down to this: I think it’s very likely that the amount of active users within your fandom has diminished significantly as compared to two years ago. A set that may have gotten 10k notes within a few days in 2016 might now only get half of that.

2. The URL thing

This is a sad truth, but it does seem that having a semi-canon or canon url does at least help with getting a larger amount of notes on your content. I have no tips on getting a canon url (I got very, very lucky with this one), but this is a simple observation I have from over the years. Url trading/selling has basically become a genuine business due to this - canon urls are in high demand.

More importantly, what I can say is that it’s smart not to change your url too often. Becoming a popular content creator on this platform is basically the same as building a brand - and a brand has an easily recognized name. Once you have a url you are happy with, try to stick to it for a while. When you change your url, links break on reblogs of your old gifsets, by the way.

3. The like-to-reblog ratio has always been unbalanced

For as long as I can remember, posts have gotten more likes than reblogs. If your ratio is 2-to-1 or 3-to-1, trust me, you are doing perfectly well for yourself! Again, as with my first point, this might have gotten a bit more extreme since 2016, but it’s not a new thing.

4. Popular users support each other

Obviously there’s nothing wrong with this (in fact, I love that we all support each other), but yes, in general big/popular blogs are friends with each other and tend to reblog each other’s content, which can be discouraging for smaller or aspiring content creators on the platform.

However, please be aware that these big blogs built up the following they have by posting content for years and it just takes time. Also, know that most users on here actually really enjoy being tagged in your posts - so if you gif a movie or tv show you know a popular user (that you follow) likes, tag them in it and if it’s high quality content (I’ll touch on this later), they’ll probably reblog it.

Tips on getting more notes

Alright, on to part two: my personal tips on getting more notes. These are strictly based on my own experience, and as a repeat of my disclaimer earlier: I am genuinely trying to share my knowledge; none of this is with the intent of being a condescending know-it-all.

1. Don’t look like you’re complaining

No matter what the intent behind your post about your lack of notes and/or followers is, it’s very likely you’re going to come off entitled or ungrateful. I’ve personally unfollowed multiple users who post consistently about reaching their next thousand, who make angry/frustrated posts when their followers don’t increase as quickly as they’d like to, when they lose followers, etc. I understand that the hustle is frustrating, but posts like these are really quite annoying for your followers; you’re complaining about followers you don’t have to followers you do have, who are then more likely to unfollow you because it looks like you’re complaining. Your mutuals might understand why you’re posting this, but others probably don’t.

When it comes to posts about like-to-reblog ratios, which I’ve seen a fair few of recently, please consider a couple of things.

When you ask people to reblog your post instead of liking it, you are essentially telling them what to put on their own blogs.

A lot of users on here have carefully curated content; while some users simply blog about everything they like, others stick to a certain set of subjects/movies/tv shows. If they see a post they like that doesn’t fall into those categories, they’ll give it a like to keep track of it and show their appreciation, but won’t put it on their blogs. You can’t tell people to reblog something they don’t want to.

You’re essentially asking people that you do not really personally care about to do something for you. Most of the likes you get on your post are likely from people that you do not follow yourself. I’m not saying that you hate your followers or don’t care for them, but you can’t really ask anything of a user that you don’t even follow yourself.

Look at it this way: Tumblr is basically a mini society, with its own market in the form of content creation. The ones who have a few thousand followers, and who get a few hundred or a few thousand notes on their posts are already the lucky ones. If you’re a user who gets hundreds/thousands of notes on their posts (even if it’s not as many as you like or deserve), you should keep in mind that the vast majority of users on here are small blogs that don’t have the traction that you have. If you post a screenshot of the like-to-reblog ratio on a post that has 2k notes, they’re going to think, “what on earth are you complaining about?”

Posts like these can really only backfire. I don’t think it’s likely that a lot of users will suddenly start reblogging instead of liking because of them. I know those posts are getting traction, because your mutuals and fellow content creators understand your frustration (believe me, I do too!), so they reblog/like/comment on it, but you’re essentially in an echo chamber of content creators. Anyone outside of that circle will not understand it and might unfollow you because of it.

2. Quality

Another disclaimer: I’m not implying that the people who have made posts about notes/followers don’t make HQ gifs. This is simply the “tips on getting notes” section of this particular post, so that’s what I’m doing. Veteran gifmakers can skip this section because I won’t be presenting anything new here.

Here’s the thing: high quality gifsets get notes. I know that what constitutes a HQ gif is subjective, but there is a consensus on this amongst big blogs, so I will summarize it below.

Make gifs from high-quality video sources. If 1080p is available, use that. Don’t gif from videos below 720p. Also, the larger the t*rr*nt file, the higher the quality. If a 1080p t*rr*nt from a movie is under 2GB in size, it’s probably not decent enough to gif from.

Use the new dimensions. Tumblr changed from 500px to 540px over 3 years ago now I believe, and all the big blogs use these dimensions. I rarely see sets like this anymore, but some users do still hold on to the old dimensions. Obviously, you should do what you like, but know that you’ll get more notes if you make the switch.

Do not skip frames. If you use screencaps, extract 25 frames per second. If you are an ‘Import video frames to layers’ kinda gal, like me, import all frames.

Sharpen your gifs! It makes an insane difference. My faq section links to a sharpening action.

Your frame delay should be 0.05. If you have a low amount of frames, you can get away with 0.06, but do not make your gif any slower than that. It will look unsmooth.

Go for natural coloring, where you simply brighten up the gif and enhance the colors (beware of whitewashing tho). I know that using PSD’s from resource blogs is tempting, but it’s very likely they will not work for the particular scene you’re giffing. It’s best if you learn to color yourself and adapt your coloring for every set. Also, it’s up to you what you think is pretty, but extremely vibrant and extremely pale coloring isn’t very popular anymore. Natural is the way to go. (This is with the exception of those gorgeous color edits people have been making recently. Y’all are queens & that shit is hard to make yo!)

If your gif is larger than the 3mb limit, NEVER sacrifice colors in the ‘Save for web’ window. Always delete frames to lower the size of your gif.

Just saying, but Photoshop CS5 has been known to make the best gifs.

For beginners out there, please don’t be discouraged. I’ve been making gifs for years, and they were absolute shit in the beginning. It just takes time to learn, but if you stick to it, you’ll get there.

3. Concept over quantity

Allow me to draw a comparison with YouTubers here - I think we all prefer YouTubers who post one well fleshed out video a week (for example, Safiya Nygaard) over YouTubers who post an okay video every day.

I think a lot of users think the way to get notes and followers is to post a gifset every day. This probably does work to an extent, but I personally think it’s better to come up with original concepts that you post every few days.

When you watch a movie, you can make five gifsets out of scenes from that movie, or you can come up with a concept. For example, parallels between scenes, parallels with other movies, the best lines of a certain character, etc. This takes more work, but sets like these are highly appreciated because they’re original, and they tend to get more notes.

This doesn’t apply to new releases, as you are probably among the first to gif a particular scene, but if you’re giffing a scene from a movie that’s been out for a while, you’re very likely not the first to do it. People will see it, realize they’ve already reblogged something very similar, and keep scrolling. But if you come up with a new idea, that’s what’ll get you more traction.

To give you a personal example; I recently rewatched all of the cap films. Now, I could have giffed popular scenes like “I could do this all day” or “I’m with you ‘til the end of the line”, but that’s been done before... a lot. Instead, I came up with this, and got 6.5k notes. I haven’t posted that many new sets on my blog recently, but posting content like that has gained me some followers and new mutuals.

4. Timing

All this requires is keeping an eye on your dashboard and taking note of when most of the people you follow are online. I sometimes see European content creators posting their sets smack dab in the middle of the day. Lemme tell y’all something: the Americans are sleeping.

I’m in timezone GMT+1. My dash wakes up around 5pm. I never post before 6pm - I’ll post anywhere between then and midnight, so feel free to convert that to your own timezone. The scheduling feature on posts comes in handy if you’ll be asleep or at school/work around that time.

If you post when Tumblr isn’t active, your set will drown in all of the other content, so be smart about timing.

5. Strategic tagging

It seems that a lot of users still don’t know this: only the first five tags on your post show up in tags on Tumblr. Anything past the first five will only be useful for your own tagging/archiving system, but will not show up in any tracked tags.

So first point: always use the most prominent edit tag for the fandom you’re posting in. Examples are #marveledit, #hpedit, #filmedit. These are frequently used, and often tracked by big blogs.

Second point: figure out who the big fansites/group blogs are, and if they track a tag, tag them. Make sure you follow them, obviously. If your post is funny, you might wanna tag bob-belcher (#bbelcher) as well - this blog is popular across fandoms and posts content from all over!

Third: tag users who you think will like your post. Don’t be thirsty with this. Again, only do this if you follow them. Tagging 2-3 users is ok, but don’t be out there tagging 8 to 10 blogs on your post. Not only is that a little pointless (because only the first five tags will show up), it also makes you look thirsty. Users might not appreciate this, and ultimately might not reblog your post because of that. Also, try not to tag the same users on every single one of your posts.

6. Popular content

If your fandom is niche, so is your content. That’s perfectly fine; don’t feel pressured to post about anything that isn’t your passion.

But if your goal really is to get more notes and followers, create content from fandoms that are big on the platform. Examples are Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, film blogs, etc.

7. Join a fansite/group blog

Every big fandom on Tumblr has one or multiple fansites/group blogs. I recommend you figure out who they are for your fandom, and apply to one that’s accepting new members. You’ll likely get in if your gifs are HQ.

I know this sounds a bit counterintuitive, as you’ll be posting content on another blog that will be getting the notes and followers from it, but it actually is a good way to gain more exposure. These blogs have large amounts of followers, and they usually allow you to reblog your own content to them, as long as you’re active. I think it’s a great way to get your content out there.

Alright, time to wrap up this post. I’m not personally calling out anyone who has made posts about followers, notes, like-to-reblog ratios, etc. I’ve seen at least 15 of those posts in recent weeks so I’m just reacting to a trend I’m seeing, by presenting a potential solution to a problem people seem to be having.

My last tip is this: if notes and followers on Tumblr are making you feel down or frustrated, maybe it’s time for a little hiatus or a step back. In the end, you are not getting paid for this and your popularity on the platform has no bearing on your real life. This is supposed to be a fun outlet for your passions and interests, not a source of frustration and anger. Don’t take it too seriously! You’re doing amazing sweetie.

#resources #i guess?#idk what to tag this as #usermichelle

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