#the entertainment industry is just at a breakneck pace on the whole this is nothing new | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sanstropfremir · 3 years

Note

are you watching any of the kingdom behind the scenes videos the groups are posting? and if yes, is there anything interesting or surprising to you?

i am watching a few of them! i've seen stuff from ikon, btob, sf9, and ateez, but i'm only really following what ateez and btob are putting out. what i've seen is about what i expected it to look like behind the scenes, so a lot of this is me going 'ah yes i love being right.' i think the most surprising thing for me is that btob's choreographer/performance director is blocking EVERYTHING in that tiny cube rehearsal room. like that takes a lot of strong spatial skill and memory to plan out, especially when you see them do runthroughs. like i'm gonna hazard a guess and say that the mnet double stage is three to four times the size of that room? those dancers and btob are so skilled for being able to do that kind of fast spatial adjustment, because it looks like groups maybe only get one or two rehearsals in the mnet/studio rehearsal hall. most of the other groups were renting out larger rehearsal spaces, which is the general protocall for if you have to work on a big stage with a lot of people. sf9's dance practice videos are a great example of this (they rented a stadium for believer rehearsals lol), and they also look great, it's really clear they though about shot order and composition when choreographing. here's a fun tidbit for you! in the jealous dance video, you can a bunch of lines and shapes on the floor; that's the floorplan of the mnet stage! this is a technique that's used in theatre by stage management to mark out where the stage is and where obstacles are so directors and performers aren't making movements that would be clipping into walls. basically the stage managment team comes in before the start of rehearsal with a dimensioned groundplan and tapes everything out using accurate measurements. the most satisfying bit is pulling up all the tape on the last day of rehearsal. so this was a nice confirmation what there actually was someone with theatre training involved behind the scenes.

from what i've seen from the ateez videos i hope they're all taking very long naps right now, because they fucking deserve it after promoting and filming for kingdom at the same time. i know they're probably going to have a comeback soon because that's in line for what most groups did after rtk and i think skz has a confirmed comeback for july??? but i hope ateez (and ikon, i think they were promoting too during filming) get a fucking break because you could really tell they were tired during music shows stages.

#also minhyuk has a disc problem???? boy stop jumping around!!!!#also very good that it looks like btob brought in a sword dance specialist for missing you #very good choice #but poor minhyuk he really suffered #no wonder they didn't do any other crazy choreo #and changsub in musical rehearsal at the same time....stress #the kpop industry does not let anyone take breaks and that's my villain origin story #we get so much content for free every day #we don't need nearly this much nobody can keep up with it all #especially not the idols themselves they deserve to sleep and eat properly #the entertainment industry is just at a breakneck pace on the whole this is nothing new #kingdom #kpop questions #oh was there anything you specifically wanted me to look at anon?#i don't really have the time to watch everything but if there's a specific thing in a video you want me to look at just send it!#text #answers #kingdom asks

12 notes · View notes

th3magicstore · 4 years

Text

Top 20 Best Endless Runners Android Games

Opening our list of Top 20 Android Endless Runners

Boulder of Destruction

There's nothing like a relaxing jaunt down the countryside, especially if you're controlling a Giant Boulder of death Take your spiky, gravel companion out for a ride and rain destruction down the endless fields Run over uninformed citizens, break down homes, and wallow in the fulfilling sense of destruction Upgrade your boulder to your heart's content, and make sure nothing will ever stand in its way A tranquil and stimulating endless runner of seismic proportions, it has a PlayScore of 8.17.

IMPOSSIBLE ROAD

Take in the pure minimalist delights of this stylish arcade game Stripping the genre to its most bare form, guide a rolling ball through a rollercoaster strip and rack up points by passing through the scoring gates Tap left and right on your screen, and maneuver through the paper-thin tracks With zero barriers for gameplay, it challenges players to weigh out the risk and rewards of that leap of faith Learn to cheat the system and climb up the leaderboards It has a PlayScore of 8.17.

Minion Rush

Despicable Me Official Game The true masters of the world, everybody's favorite banana-colored species have come to rule the mobile to The official game of the hit franchise, run alongside Despicable Me's feisty minions and help them traverse through the obstacles of the lab and beyond Escape from Gru's wicked grasp, and master the outside world with swipes and taps It's every bit as colorful as the movie, and it's a treat for fans of the series It has a PlayScore of 8.28.

Geometry Dash Meltdown

Firing up the action of the original rhythmic polygon, Geometry Dash makes a move towards the bass-fuelled beats of electronic music Tap to the beat of the drum machines, and guide the devilish square through fiery phases and neon-lit stages Choose from three varying difficulties and sharpen your reflexes with each playthrough Accompanied by F-777's booming tracks, the meltdown is a fast and frenzied, adrenaline-pumping joy A hotter and cooler Geometry Dash experience, it has a PlayScore of 8.35.

ALONE...

Anchored on the endless runner's very simple premise, Alone's tiny spacecraft takes us to worlds we've never seen before Blast through the cosmos with your lone space ship and avoid the traps of the high-speed journey Its dark landscapes provide the perfect backdrop to their breakneck yet ultimately forgiving gameplay An atmospheric indie runner, it blends responsive controls, somber narratives, and fast-paced gaming into one neatly wrapped package Beat scores, earn achievements and escape the quiet of Outerspace It has a PlayScore of 8.38.

Alto's Odyssey

Noodlecake Studios just might be the masters of style Following their long line of successes, this endless runner is in a league of its own Looking like a smart and frantic opening sequence, zoom through their barely navigable maze as it twists, turns, and transforms in disorienting fashion This is definitely not a game for the weak Brutal, unforgiving, but endlessly addicting--fall prey to its hypnotic labyrinth, time after weary time With slick controls and outstanding variety, it has a PlayScore of 8.42.

PAC-MAN 256

A lot has changed through the years: There's new consoles, new technology--and for Namco, a new name Still, remaining at the forefront of the videogame industry, Bandai Namco lets us revisit one of their first masterpieces Nom and chomp with the pie-shaped icon in this buffet serving of the classic PACMAN game Traverse the corners of the infinite labyrinths, and try to avoid any meeting with the color-coded ghosts A modern take on an arcade classic It has a PlayScore of 8.43.

Ski Safari 2

Sleepy Z Studios arcade endless runner turns the deadly slopes of skiing into a family-friendly escapade Slide down the slippery slopes, and rack up points with handstands and 360 spins But this game is more than just mammoth riding around snowcapped hills It also offers a change in backdrops as you move into the tropical safaris, explosive mines, prehistoric deserts and so much more Tour around the world and time, and bring home a happy postcard It has a PlayScore of 8.43.

Temple Run

Our first touch of the primordial endless runner Imangi studios revitalized the genre with their impressive 3D graphics Step inside the shoes of the explorer, escape artists, and more, and help them fight against their karmic fate Run through the perilous trails of an ancient temple, and escape the grasp of its vicious demon monkeys Duck past tree branches and jump past holes in this immersive and responsive runner A modern relic that's earned its spot in history, it has a PlayScore of 8.44.

Disney Crossy Road

The emperors of our childhood fantasies finally take hold over Hipster Whale's popular arcade formula While it doesn't have the auto-run feature of the endless runner games, crossroad lets you achieve the highest scores with every careful step Collect coins around the world, and get a chance to win cool new characters With their signature superstars slapped onto the vibrant voxel world, it becomes an even more exciting game of slots A fusion of two established greats, it receives a PlayScore of 8.45.

Subway Surfers

Get a membership into the counsel of cool, and join a gang of rebellious teenagers in their subway shenanigans It's a perpetual flirt with death as they roam through three laned train tracks, jump from train to train, and rocket glide through the skies Take coins from the field, and spend it on some sweet customizations There's a wealth of options in the store, letting you pick new heroes to play and clothes to show off Accept daily challenges and celebrate with every season update It has a PlayScore of 8.49.

Banana Kong

It’s time to party it up in the tropical rainforest On the menu for this primate is bananas, bananas, and more bananas Help the bumbling ape get his daily dose of sweet, potassium goodness as he roams around his woodland kingdom Along with his friendly companions, conquer land sea and sky to collect every precious banana in sight Swing from vine to vine, glide over treetops, and zoom through the oceans It has a PlayScore of 8.55.

Rodeo Stampede

With the same voxel visuals, Featherweight Games takes you out of your usual suburbs to explore the sights of the sunny savannahs Put on your cowboy hats, saddle up, and go on a trek around scenic landscapes populated by magnificent creatures Perform death-defying leapfrogs from animal to animal, capture the land's most majestic beasts, and show them all of in your very own zoo With 50 different animals to collect, make sure you get only the best for your patrons It has a PlayScore of 8.57.

Time Surfer

In this infinite runner, the fate of the whole universe is on the line and there's only one person who can stop it Call on the powers of the great time surfer, and wield his ultimate power to turn back time Make physics bend to your will as you cruise through galaxies, avoid spikes, and eat a tremendous amount of cake Catch some pop culture references and laugh out loud in this hilariously wacky space adventure It has a PlayScore of 8.59.

Jetpack Joyride

From Halfbrick Studios collection, comes an exciting joyride with their suit-wearing hero Play as Barry Steakfries as he steps out of his monotone shell to embrace the thrills of the extraordinary Crash inside a secret laboratory, and make your way out with their arsenal of rockets and rides Jump into turbo mode with jetpacks, mechs, and more and avoid the lab's myriad of lasers, traps, and spikes It's a testosterone pumping ride that's packed with all sorts of surprises It has a PlayScore of 8.6

SMILE Inc

The corporate ladder has always been a tough climb, but none as hard as this game A title from popular YouTuber, Roman Atwood, help his friendly cartoon avatar navigate through the blades and guillotines of the capitalist uphill Collect a variety of adorable characters, and help them fulfill that old American dream Make your way through 50 missions, and survive the grind of their daily updates So, perk up, bare your teeth, and whatever you do--don't get fired It has a PlayScore of 8.72.

Burrito Bison

Launcha Libre A classic from Kongre gate, Burrito Bison launches out of his flash home to bring sky-high entertainment to the mobile Bringing along a pair of old pals, aid the loco luchadors in their mission to take back his cookbook Along with the masked muchacho is his squishy martian archnemesis Watch the rainbow gummies explode, and take to the land and skies with rockets, balloons, and underground worms Upgrade your arsenal to boost your altitude and take back what's rightfully yours It has a PlayScore of 8.78.

Alto's Adventure

From one of the mobile's best studios, Noodlecake takes you on a vacation to the alpine slopes and adds a splash of elegance to the formula Akin to the tranquil Monument Valley, surrender yourself to its breathtaking sights as you explore their snowy landscapes Even with its 2D style, Alto's adventure has no shortage of style and detail Glide by scenic windmills and smooth loops amid a backdrop of night skies and orange sunsets A perfect fit for the coming winter season, it has a PlayScore of 8.79.

Blades of Brim

And the best endless runner on the Android is Blades of Brim SYBO games of the Subway Surfer fame steps up their endless runner game with this RPG hybrid Travel to the fictional world of Brim, and embark on a noble quest in the realm of medieval fantasy Take up your sword and battle against the waves of invading armies It's one of the finest runners on the mobile, with eye-popping graphics and satisfying combat Earn treasure chests and use them to enhance your skills in the endless war It has a PlayScore of 8.82. Read the full article

1 note · View note

britesparc · 6 years

Text

My Unpopular Star Wars Opinion: Or, Why The Phantom Menace is Better Than The Force Awakens

Was it, though?

Were the Star Wars prequels – The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith, whose vary names have become entertainment-industry watchwords for disappointment – really, truly better than the current Disney-owned era of Star Wars, which so far has produced two widely-praised billion-dollar-grossing movies, and is about to unleash a third, about which expectation is as high as a city in the clouds? Can I really think that, for reals?

Well, yes and no.

Let’s get the obvious things out of the way: there were some very poor decisions made during the Prequel Era. Let’s not pick over the corpse of George Lucas’ story choices – the whys and wherefores of virgin births, whiny antagonists, and Jar Jar Binks – and focus instead on the filmmaking technique employed. The dialogue is wooden. The camerawork is rigid. The performances are flat. The pacing is all over the place: in Phantom, the much-vaunted podrace goes on for at least two laps too long; indeed, the whole Tatooine section of the film shoots the legs out from under the momentum. Prior to that it had been a breakneck chase from overwhelming odds, our heroes escaping Naboo by the skin of their teeth; as soon as they break down on Tatooine, they’re sheltering from sandstorms and going gambling. And, of course, there’s the whole “taxation of outlying star systems is in dispute” nonsense: doesn’t quite grab you as quickly as “it is a period of civil war”, does it?

But there’s still something about them that feels Star Wars-y. There’s still a sense, even though I know Lucas was making it all up as he went along, that this fits into the universe correctly (I mean, he was making everything up as he went along, which is why Leia kisses Luke in Empire). There’s a cyclical nature to how the prequels marry with the original trilogy that’s about more than a visit to Tatooine or the presence of a Mandalorian bounty hunter. The first films in both trilogies are, in essence, about innocence: a simple quest by simple people to prevent an immediate danger (removing the blockade of Naboo versus destroying the Death Star); the second films complicate things by splitting up our heroes on separate quests before uniting them for a finale that feels, at best, like a pyrrhic victory; before resolving their respective trilogies in an all-bets-are-off finale beset with divided loyalties and a dangerous Sith Lord. Revenge of the Sith and Return of the Jedi – even their titles are darkly mirrored – both deal explicitly with Vader and his relationship to the Force; he wrestles with his emotions and his commitment to his Order, the love of his wife compelling him to commit dark acts before finally the love of his son pulls him back into the light. The Force Awakens, whilst it does mirror aspects of Star Wars, feels more like a greatest hits package; we have another callow youth from a desert planet on a hero’s journey, another aged mentor, another cocky pilot, another tragic death, and another large object exploding in space, but it feels more consciously designed. A box-ticking exercise, rather than a thematic resonance. Or maybe it’s just because the iconography is so similar.

The First Order is basically the Empire, and the Resistance is basically the Rebellion. There are TIE Fighters and X-Wings. There are Stormtroopers and helmeted good-guy soldiers. There are English-accented characters walking around in SS outfits being glowery and evil. Whilst I’d never attempt to suggest that Amidala’s chrome-plated ship, or the wing-walking droid craft, were as iconic as what we got forty years ago, to go back to the same well is disappointing.

My wider issue, however, is how the new era seems to disregard somewhat the mythological aspects of Star Wars. I guess I’ve only seen one film in the trilogy, but despite the palette-swap nature of its craft and locations, it does feel markedly different to the Star Wars that came before. There’s a sense of destiny in Star Wars, a “balance of the Force” that was hinted at in the original trilogy and made explicit in the prequels; the yoke of inevitability pulling characters in directions that they may not wish to go. The subtle, underplayed, and often-ignored theme in the prequels of once-noble institutions slowly crumbling into irrelevance and becoming the very thing they hated speaks to the wider issue of the “will of the Force”, of the Chosen One appearing to bring balance. That Chosen One is assumed to be Anakin, and we’re left to interpret for ourselves whether the balance was actually achieved; is it when he kills the Younglings? Or is it when he topples the Emperor? This thread ties the first six films together to produce something grander and more metaphorical, even if it is a case of Lucas essentially retconning to some degree his original intentions from the seventies and eighties. The Force Awakens feels a bit different, like the preoccupations of the previous films are gone; there’s a darkness to everything creeping in around the edges, complicating matters. Whether this makes for a better narrative is moot: what I’m saying is it makes it feel less of a whole with the rest of Star Wars.

This is exacerbated by the time-jump. Obviously we were always going to go 30-40 years ahead of Jedi. But so much has happened in that time. In the 20 years between Sith and Hope, the galaxy might be fundamentally different, but from a narrative view, nothing has changed: the Empire is still victorious and the Jedi still in exile, just like we left them. But in between Jedi and Force, we’ve seen Luke’s attempt at training new Jedi falter, Ben Solo fall to the Dark Side, the rise of the First Order, and the formation of the Resistance, to say nothing of the yet-unrevealed histories of Snoke and Rey. The film features flashbacks and a cliffhanger finale. It just feels odd, out of place, not at one with the cyclical nature of Star Wars. And, furthermore, it undoes so much of the happy ending of Jedi: despite the deaths of Vader and Palpatine, the Dark Side rises again, there's a new Empire, Luke goes into exile (apparently convinced that the Jedi as an institution is a bad thing) and Han and Leia split up. It's sad! It's tragic! And whilst I'm fine with all that happening in Star Wars, I think it should happen on-camera. Not in flashbacks or spin-offs, it should be part of the saga. To introduce it as backstory complicates the rhythm of the films. It feels less of a whole. It feels like a sequel, not the next episode. And from the trailers and pre-release hype of The Last Jedi, it seems like this is the new normal for Star Wars.

None of this makes the Disney films bad. In fact, going back to the popular iconography of the original trilogy makes perfect sense. Having the heroes still be a scrappy insurgency helps us root for them. Giving us a mysterious backstory to uncover is compelling. But my argument is, all these elements feel discordant with what's gone before. The prequels, for all their faults technically and narratively, helped weave a mythological tapestry for Star Wars that is being undone by the new films. I feel they're remaining too wedded to familiar imagery and story points, whilst simultaneously moving too far away from the more conceptual, mythological underpinnings of Star Wars as a fable. I kind of wish that Lucas had completed his mooted final trilogy – his own VII, VIII, and IX – before selling to Disney (especially if he took more of an executive role, as he did with Empire and Jedi, and left the writing and directing to others). Taken as individual films, maybe they wouldn't be as good as what we've got – because despite everything I've said here, I really do think Force Awakens and especially Rogue One are pretty tremendous – but at least we'd have Lucas' complex, contradictory, rhythmically compelling vision completed. Of course, then we wouldn't have Star Wars' new Holy Trinity of Rey, Finn, and Poe – perhaps the Disney era's most important additions to the overall mythos.

Look, Star Wars is complicated. George Lucas is complicated, and his legacy is complicated. I'm chuffed to bits he sold to Disney – not because DIsney is the be-all and end-all, but because they've proven their ability to marry corporate aims with creative excellence; look at Pixar and Marvel especially. The Force Awakens has issues but it's still a great, crowd-pleasing, immensely successful movie, and already we've got BB-8, porgs, and broadsword lightsabers sitting in the popular imagination in ways that, arguably, nothing in the prequels ever really managed (apart from Darth Maul and his double-ended saber, I guess). And again, the progressive casting of the new films is long overdue and utterly fantastic. I'm still really, really excited about The Last Jedi, and Abrams' Episode IX, and Johnson's new non-Skywalker trilogy. But I can't help feeling like something quintessentially Star Wars has been lost; perhaps it's an oddness, a willingness to duck when everyone is expecting a jump. Perhaps it was Lucas' own obsessions and interests that fuelled the franchise, that gave us everything from the sublime (Vader, the Death Star, lightsabers, Yoda) to the ridiculous (midichlorians, Gungans, Ewoks, Watto). Perhaps the new films are better films, but in my heart of hearts, I'm not sure I can love them quite as much. Maybe The Last Jedi will end up being the best Star Wars experience this side of Knights of the Old Republic, but it will still feel slightly separate. Further tales. An imaginary story. The expanded universe.

Maybe it's me. Maybe it's just knowing that Lucas had more stories he wanted to tell and never got the chance. Maybe it's because I've always been a lot warmer towards the prequels than most. Maybe things will shift with time – as more films come out in the new universe, with more characters, then this will start to feel like the status quo, the new normal. I hope so, because I love Star Wars – indeed, it's worth repeating, I think the new films are excellent, and are better films, better made films, than all three of the prequels. But although my head believes we're in a golden age of Star Wars not seen since the early 80s, my heart has yet to be convinced.

Anyway. I'll let you know if I still feel the same way after The Last Jedi...

#movies #films #star wars #George Lucas #the last jedi #star wars the last jedi

3 notes · View notes

th3magicstore · 4 years

Text

Top 20 Best Endless Runners Android Games