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00:00.00
jim_phoenix
Hey, everybody welcome back to another exciting episode of what’s cracking. It’s me Jim Phoenix actually now this is an invasion as ijmbrannicck control the airwaves today instead of Jim Phoenix that’s right and friends today I’m I’m furious I’m furious to be here because that means I have to talk once again about hashtag chadts theax and if you look at my reviews from nightmarishconjurings.com deadstream episode of stream and demons that I did episode 48 you know, no big deal and also my newest kind of like teaser on haunted mtl you’ll find out why I’m so angry. Ah, but thankfully before you do all that here with me to help me process my feelings. And get back on track is writer co-writer director co-editor travis bible here to kind of talk about everything. Thank you thank you is it’s really

01:05.87
Travis
I’m I’m here and I’m here to help you I can be kind of a therapist and help you work through this anger at um, a chad Um, you know that’s.

01:15.42
jim_phoenix
Really is really hard right now. Thank you? Okay so I want you can you first kind of tell us about yourself and how you got into the film industry.

01:17.23
Travis
Um, yeah.

01:27.81
Travis
Ah sure. Um I went to film school at University Of Texas and um, like most film school graduates. You assume you’re just going to move out to Los Angeles and be handed. You know $10000000 to direct a film. And that didn’t immediately happen so I actually got really involved in unscripted stuff. Um, some reality some documentary stuff and um did a lot of stuff for mtv which I really enjoyed and it’s a lot of fun to do um, some of the shows for for them and then I kind of um, pivoted back I guess. six or seven years ago and started getting back more into um de scripted stuff and mainly so genre stuff like sci-fi and and horror and just kind of shooting it on the side and had some luck I had a sci-fi film exit strategy that played at tribeca and that was really awesome and. Has done really well. And yeah, um, chag gets the axe was a definite um pivot from that. Um, but you know it’s still a still story. But um, yeah I think ah. I think I’ve gotten more into horror films recently the last few years with with jaggets the accent some other stuff I’m working on.

02:36.18
jim_phoenix
Yeah, because check gets the exposes a short film first. Ah, an award-winning short film if I recall correctly. Um what what kind of like made you pivot into making it a feature film.

02:41.40
Travis
Yeah.

02:49.83
Travis
Um, we felt there’s more to to like we did the short which was super fun. Um, and just so brief. You know it was like a day and a half shoot or whatever. Um, and you know it played really well like we weren’t sure I wrote the short script and we shot it. And we knew like we had some decent kind of found footage scares and me and the um producer Mike Nicholas were writing all the comments and we kind of like is this funny is this like we’re giggling. But you know what I mean but like I don’t know and then we from here did scream fest and it got all these laughs as well as the scares and it.

03:21.70
jim_phoenix
Um, the yeah.

03:27.22
Travis
Did well and got you know Vimeo staff pick and some other nice things and so that really gave me the confidence like okay I think there’s there’s something here and so then was figuring out how to develop that into a feature and um, you’re pretty I’ll get into the weeds with you because I think you might be a little ah and we can cut out. Whatever. But. The original idea was we had just seen um, have you seen bandder snatch the interactive black mirror film. So I’ve watched that and I’m like dude this this is the future. It’s all going to be choose your own adventure. So um, me and um, the ah cowriter Kimmerton Hargrove

03:51.21
jim_phoenix
Yes, yeah.

04:04.60
Travis
Ah, put together a pitch packet and literally did a decision tree and the idea was you had 4 influencers. You could swap streams between them so you could go at any time between the streams you would impact their choices by you would decide what the comments are saying so it’s like it’s not like an act of god it’s more like these influencers when I impress. Audience and you’re kind of controlling the audience and so it was like a really crazy choose your own adventure and we had a bunch of meetings and pitched it around and everyone was like this is so cool. We don’t do this but it’s really cool if it if it ends up somewhere I would like to watch it and so. We kind of went back to the drawing board but it was super helpful to have kind of envisioned it that way because that’s where I knew going back to the feature I’m like Kimmerton this needs to be like going between these 4 streamers. Um you know and we need to keep even though it’s not technically interactive anymore. We want to kind of keep that feeling like. You’re almost one of the um, the audience. So that’s kind of where we um, we landed when we’re developing the feature.

05:05.56
jim_phoenix
And you really did that really well because what I noticed watching it a lot of times to the point where the screener is like okay you’ve had too many and so I had to buy it. Um you you never actually see them.

05:10.37
Travis
Fifth 50

05:21.17
jim_phoenix
And never pulls Away. You’re always seeing them on a screen or doing something on the Screen. You never actually pull away to see them like behind the camera like say you know later which 2 comes to mind. But um, you never actually see them as anything else, but these influencers. Really and that that was kind of immersive I think for everybody when they see that um, especially with everything going on.

05:47.89
Travis
Yeah, we for sure we wanted to keep it from that. Um, that perspective the whole whole time. Um, you know and it it was interesting to take that approach one of the actors was even not. Sure about it you we’re actually shooting I think they I’m I’m not going to say which ordering or main character was but they were a little surprised. They actually thought we were shooting on normal. Um you know alexas or something and the phones were more props and like it’s like well no, it’s all from the phone so that was that was a surprise even for um. Some people on set. Yeah, we wanted to keep them in the in the moment the um entire time and kind of keep you there and then we wanted to for the feature since we have the time to incorporate. Ah, what’s called like screen Life. You know that unfriended um, searching missing um thing and kind of keep. Keep with that. But yeah, the whole time.. It’s like you are um, you are in the characters perspective and um, you know it was a little tricky because then you still want to feel for these characters a little so it’s like figuring out where you can can cheat that in and I think some of the screen life stuff probably helped with that.

06:59.73
jim_phoenix
Now and and checkets’ the axe is part of like this emerging subgenre of horror that’s like instant found footage so you were saying that basically um. Was black mirror that kind of started you on that path but what kind of really directed you towards that like okay, we’re going to do about streaming.

07:22.18
Travis
Well, that is ah in my head and perhaps partially it was because I have worked on some reality television onscripted so I thought even in the early mid two thousand s I’m like it would be cool if someone went on a reality show. It’s like a haunted location then it all. Goes wrong I was kicking around the idea in my head and then um I saw have you seen grave encounters Great movie I Saw that and I’m like all right. They nailed this like that’s not quite and and and that kind of put the ideas aside I’m like grave encounters like Brilliant Um, love it and um.

07:41.32
jim_phoenix
Yes, yes.

07:55.91
Travis
I still wanted to do kind of like a blair witch type thing and it’s like how do you do that in 2019 or you know with the feature 2021 2022 and it just seemed like streamers were the answer and you know I love blair witch originally but 1 thing interesting about Blair witch and I think I remember interview with. Director saying this is that they had to justify I think was Heather thought the lead character I think she had to justify why am I filming a lot like the whole time like it’s the 1 thing I have I’m so why you film I have to keep and it’s kind of like today I think with Chad I was like I don’t think we need there is some reasoning in the film but I didn’t. Overkill because I kind of feel like if you put 4 influencers in that situation unless it’s direct peril to them. They would probably try to film and get as much content out of it and I think that’s a very sadly believable part of this this story is that they probably would keep filming.

08:49.39
jim_phoenix
Absolutely I think one of my favorite parts without spoiling too much is when um, Jennifer of Spennifer um says we have to go back. They’re getting more views than we are. We’re boring you know and I thought that was really. Great tape because I laughed out loud at that part because at first you think oh, it’s going to be because to go save her friends. No, it’s because they’re getting more views than she is and that kind of leads into that.

09:16.52
Travis
And no no I thought that was that was great and tenacia did such a good job with that. Um, that character we kind of worked together to make sure that um I mean she’s probably her character is probably the. Best person but we both didn’t want her. We wanted her to be strong and assertive but at the same time like she’s not that much better morally than the rest of them so we’ve wanted to keep that at the the forefront with that character and she did um did such a good job and um, not to get too spoilly. But so happy with everybody it sucked when um. Andevly people are getting picked off. It’s like oh man I 1 spent more time with this character you know and it. Yeah fortunately.

09:59.56
jim_phoenix
Absolutely I was kind of hoping that with kind of Spencer too because we don’t get to see as much with him. We get to see a lot more with you know, Chad and spicy Steve and their dynamic. Um, when you’re coming up with kind of their dynamic. Was there anything you were kind of basing it off or yeah.

10:17.97
Travis
Um, with spicy Steve and Chad we wanted. You know it’s interesting. So with spicy Steve um, we had the character even more like wide-eyed innocent country boy um in the script. And then Michael Benini submitted a tape reading for a toxic frat guy and I could tell he could do more so I’m like hey dude do you want to read for the um part of spicy Steve and he um did a great job with that and the dynamic with there we wanted. Um. Michael and I work together to kind of get it to a point where it’s like Chad is clearly the alpha and spicy Steve is the 1 kind of trying it but he he doesn’t really believe this and that that was kind of ah a part we were trying to to hit so I don’t know quite if the dynamics fully based that dynamic is. Based on exact influencers but we definitely wanted to make sure spicy Steve wasn’t just Chad 2.0 like we wanted you know um someone to actually feel bad and you know I think I think pretty consistently not to get too sporally but and anyone who um has a character arc and realizes like. Oh maybe we’re doing is messed up. Unfortunately, they’re not rewarded very well in this this movie. You know.

11:37.36
jim_phoenix
Ah, it’s a fun ride though. It’s a fun ride. Um, so that kind of actually goes into one of my questions is um, the writing is so funny and so on point how much of it was written and how much of it was improvised by the characters. By the actors.

11:55.47
Travis
As a director I’m like totally open to improv so it is something we worked with, but it was relatively tightly scripted and then they kind of were able to kind of put it in their own words or if they wanted to go improv off and stuff. They could or when they’re just one like exploring the house and stuff I was like you guys just need to do some pocket dialogue. Let’s see what we can well we can do so it was kind of a mix. But I think some people and this is a testament to how fucking great. My the actors were I think some people are like oh this whole thing improv it’s like now it was. It was pretty mapped out. Um, like I said that being said it was I’m I’m old elder millennial. So I kind of knew I was kind of relying on my cast and some I can get into the some weird research on Tiktok. We’ll put that put it put in that for now. But um, as asline her my cast to make sure. Um.

12:44.90
jim_phoenix
Oh oh yeah I have a question about that too. Ah.

12:51.14
Travis
That they were talking correctly. And for instance, um, cam who played Spencer Super talented um actor hilarious. But anyway I think we had like of course is like you know, okay and he’s like just say bet and I’m like what where do you bettting me on’s like no dude. That’s what he said I’m like can tell like. Terrific all right? So like things like that that kind of kind of helped and um, we we kind of looked at the the dialogue and stuff. But yeah, it was. It was relatively tight scripted but there’s I definitely had room for for improv and you know we played around with each scene and um, definitely went through them all before um. Before shooting to make sure it sounded natural but it was one of those things where is more important for the dialogue to sound natural than to be good if you I don’t think it’s like forly written I’m hotat but you know what I mean like it’s it’s like you almost don’t want like Aaron Sorkin level like you know.

13:39.73
jim_phoenix
Yeah, no.

13:46.33
Travis
Perfect dialogue then it kind of undermines like who these influencers are and you know buying in that they’re real influencers.

13:52.00
jim_phoenix
And it’s very authentic and Cohesive. You know, especially with the merchandise with the um you know the promos that they give out everything like that you know they’ll be in ah, a really let’s say a sticky situation and then it’s like okay well let’s. Let’s promo this or let’s you know which I think is was really hilarious as Well. Um, so the acting was really amazing like you said, um, how did you go about like with casting for the characters and how did the actors enhance.

14:16.49
Travis
Sham.

14:27.50
jim_phoenix
What you already had written.

14:29.50
Travis
Um, well so yeah, like like we mentioned it started with a short and we had a few quite a few people read just for that for the the short and um, there was some good people but they are. Embodying kind of your your stereotypical influencer. There’s a lot of people just directly channeling Logan Paul which there’s some all brothers in this chad for sure. Um, it doesn’t take that much to detect that. But it’s not It’s not supposed to be like another paul brother. It’s it’s like it hits his own thing. It’s a combination and.

14:49.90
jim_phoenix
And.

15:03.24
Travis
And honestly those actors weren’t quite hitting the um emotional department. We actually feel bad for him is a little too much like I’m 100% onboard just to cheer for this dude to get the axe and then Spencer came and read and did a great job, especially with um, you know some of the more.

15:12.59
jim_phoenix
And.

15:21.98
Travis
Parts where it’s little more sympathetic to him but he wasn’t quite hitting like the douche bag factor. So but I wanted to go with him so I like literally called him up I’m like hey can you do 1 more read and just be the biggest asshole douche bag you’ve ever been. And then I think he walked around his pool or something and recorded like this the duious read ever. I’m like all right we got him and so it was awesome. Having already done the short having already worked with him. Um the short was actually in a way harder to shoot than the feature because i. In the short one thing I learned in my head I was like this needs to look like 1 continuous take and when we’re shooting a short Tiktok and Instagram you couldn’t hit a button and flip the phone to pov mode you know and so I made Spencer manually flip the phone so we couldn’t even use that as a cut point.

16:04.21
jim_phoenix
Oh okay. Oh no.

16:11.51
Travis
So he’s having to get this short like when he sees the dead body. It’s not like okay your takes’ done It’s like no man you got to flip your phone around so we’re doing a 4 or 5 minute take so he got so good at that stuff and um, you know it would um I’ll jump ahead a little this was on the short and then all the other actress got used to it. They would do. Um, the features as well. They would have to do these long takes and um, they’d nail the performance and be so good and back say your performance was perfect but you didn’t quite pan right? Um, on this one shot and you need to you know pan here and you didn’t get the house enough in frame. So I have to give them camera notes. Um. As well that they had to do but they were all all game. Um, but yeah back to it so we had Spencer so that made me feel really good about the um, the feature I think I mentioned you know Michael initially applied for toxic frat guy um cam we found it was just. He was just head and shoulders. But he was exactly what we were looking for. He got the part he he understood it? Um, and once again, he was so good I wish you know there could have been more of him for sure and then tenacia it was harder to get Jennifer? um, that part was trickier had quite a lot of people but they weren’t quite hitting it. And Spencer was like I’ve worked with someone let me have her read and then she read and just completely did an amazing job with that as well. So they all enhanced it. They all what 1 thing cool about it that I didn’t even quite realize so we were we were shooting is that they all can have their own style of.

17:44.21
Travis
Shooting their own um of of when they’re shooting and um, one thing we noticed we shot a lot with Michael and Spencer um, or especially ah Michael at first holding it and doing his thing and then when um tenacia was assault in the camera I’m like.

17:47.20
jim_phoenix
Interesting.

17:58.84
Travis
Wow, your composition and stuff is so much steadier and better than the boys like so it’s just funny that each character kind of had a style for how they were shooting which was which is kind of cool to see. Yeah it. It worked out and I it did. We’re working I brought on my um director of photography robinsco our work. Ton Super talent to guy but it it. It got to him a little because you know he he wanted to hold the camera and I’m like yeah you know there’s there’s parts where he did get and he loved those days. But yeah, he had to kind we had to just kind of work with it and I’m like it has to you know it’s got to be them and kind of work with it from there but um. Yeah I Think the actress did an amazing job both you know and like in not just acting but also having to you know, kind of shoot themselves so they did a great great work.

18:44.21
jim_phoenix
Yeah, and it was it was like I said very cohesive with the story as well because that’s that’s a lot of cooks in the kitchen to have to kind of wrangle together and to make sure that they get the perfect shots and make sure it’s not too fast. You know or or.

19:01.52
Travis
Um, yeah, and it’s working with because they didn’t I don’t know if any of them quite got it complete because even Spencer kind of obviously he was in the shore but they didn’t quite understand the screen life going in but you know I explained it as best as possible.

19:02.65
jim_phoenix
Something like that. Um.

19:17.60
Travis
And they mostly got it. But yeah, it was like it was they they did great without knowing for sure what how exactly this was all going to turn out with all the stuff on the phones and so.

19:26.46
jim_phoenix
Did they have like an aha moment when they finally saw like the the finished product.

19:33.53
Travis
I think so I think um I think yeah Tenacsia and stuff like she she was acting her hard on doing an amazing job. But I don’t think she quite. Understand the crazy vision I had in my head for like switching back between the door and now you’re gonna take Instagram pictures of yourself and it’s gonna Mark like cute debt like I’m like but if with the Instagram but I’m like just here we’re just gonna take some we’ll do it. So I think I think um. Think they’re all happy when they they saw those all put together because you know I could have just been talking on my ass and it might just been a disaster. Um, but luckily yeah, luckily it wasn’t and all they think the screen left stuff really came together.

20:12.74
jim_phoenix
Um, so I also wanted to talk about. Um So the social media aspect is obviously like such a backbone to the movie. Um, what kind of research or process did you have to make the social media aspect so authentic.

20:30.73
Travis
Have a couple good stories for that are so I’ll start with one was like because I did want to make it authentic or the movie I think would just sync so I um created a Tiktok account and joined Tiktok I was literally trying to follow your. Because actually guess the Paul brother actually moved on to boxing. So it’s like finding new people anyway, like that are um, you know in 202021 so finding those younger influencers learning how Tiktok works to be honest because I wasn’t familiar with it in like 2020 and um so I’m joining trying to follow all these younger. People and I didn’t understand how the live chats worked and I initially just created it for my Facebook so it has like my first and last name and there’s a group like pre-partying. Um I think they were freshmen in college or something and they were literally saying like um, you know, no cap and like saying like ah you know gine slang and stuff and I’m like. This is perfect I’m just gonna join and watch this so I’m kind of watching their pre party kind of taking notes in about 3 minutes in there like it’s only 15 of them bear minds like a giant group and like who is Travis bible and I’m like and like you know what? this space is is this guy old and I’m like holy shit and I get realize like I me or had to sign out and um.

21:36.32
jim_phoenix
There.

21:41.29
Travis
Yeah I learned from there I just definitely did not luckily get any calls from the police for stalking um 18 year olds but yeah it was like ah so good lesson that yeah your tiktok live feed I guess they can can see who you are but um, anyway that that was important so we did kind of you know, learn. Ah, tried to learn a lot from there. What people were actually doing and then once we did put the movie together. We did a a test screening with just young people like um which is interesting. We didn’t actually end up doing one with a bigger we we did send it in the link individually to get notes from a fair amount of people. But. The test screening it was just really important to me to make sure that all these comments and stuff were working and so we had um, yeah, pretty much college people. Um, spenter’s younger brother organized and guys the bunch then other um p a I’d worked with and Lizziana got a bunch of Lsu Sorority girls to watch it so you know like a very young crowd. And yeah, it was a giant load off my back when they watched it and were like the um they thought it was all authentic which was good but then you get like a note for 1 thing that spinter’s little brother. Um, told me he’s like it was good but like. Like there’d be more purvy stuff like show feet and I’m like what is what is show feed and he’s like was is kind of awkward. But you know it’s just a thing people say to and I’m like I love that I’m making that a a prominent feature in this now and so I’m being a dick and giving spener’s little brother credit for show feed as much as possible and all.

23:12.62
Travis
Ah, podcast.

23:12.68
jim_phoenix
That’s amazing. That’s amazing because that was one of the original notes that I took to um.

23:17.59
Travis
Is I’m glad people like because I was just so like I don’t know in my wife and I giggling over the name Peter Pe Pee you know like because there’s like some higher level hopefully social commentary going on with some of the comments. But it’s some. It’s like no, you just got to it.

23:27.88
jim_phoenix
Ah.

23:36.70
Travis
And it’s getting the different.

23:37.17
jim_phoenix
Honestly, it was Genius. It was really genius like all of the characters I Loved the professor I think the most in his yeating you know, like that was.

23:44.85
Travis
Ah, thank you? Dude trying? Yeah we wanted. We wanted that and we you know it’s just getting different voices and that’s something too. Um for the first pass camemerton um, the co-writer and producer. Um, super talented guy. Um, he. Wrote some passive you know of of some of the comments and um I was like yeah these are good but these all are like all witty, all smart. All you know, punctuated correctly. I’m like you need to go back and that hurt his soul like had to go back and like I’m like watch some more Tiktok and I want you to write like you know. Bad grammar like you’re not this intelligent witty guy. You are and so he he got into it and started. Yeah, um, so that was that was our goal to kind of different voices going on in the chat and I think that helps with the all authenticity of it all and um have a mix of people and um, don’t be wrong. There’s a pain. There’s 1300 comments. But.

24:40.74
jim_phoenix
Wow.

24:41.83
Travis
Had to track usernames and anyone that talked again and there’s probably if you look at the story lines. You know you have your a and B going on screen. But there’s like a Cd going on that was kind of my my goal of what you know there’s There’s a conversation on what defines a spoiler in there. You know like just like little things that we tried to have. Go on in the the chat And so yeah, that was super fun.

25:02.61
jim_phoenix
Yeah, how many characters were there. Do you think.

25:09.12
Travis
I would say I don’t know because each username was unique, um, another funny thing Kimmerton was coming up with some usernames and we were at fright fest and I’m like. Is that username your Netflix password and he’s like oh crap so we had to like change that so he had just zoned out because we probably have hundreds of user names. Um, ah that we were doing actual characters probably 10 to fifteen because there is you know there’s the bigger ones like the Benson Brothers murder Maven the true crime podcaster evans the yeah, the teacher who doesn’t understand ye 2 people are going over spoilers Chad Pion who’s like a hero the frat guys if you notice actually they do make it appearance in the chat earlier before they pick pick him up. Um, so so there’s a lot of.

25:56.20
jim_phoenix
Oh I’ll have to go back and see for that. Yeah, there’s a lot levels. Yeah, and I I really liked the murder Maven too. Um, yeah.

25:59.11
Travis
Yeah, there’s a lot of levels if you’re in yeah.

26:05.76
Travis
So real quick on that one that was also a we had a couple lines from her but that is 1 thing the gen z test screening if you will. They’re like a couple of them were like we like this but really want to know more about the satanic cult and you know on screen. There’s not. Tons about it so in a normal movie. You’d be like well sorry guys that’s not an option but I’m like well we have comments and so I went through and did a whole pass with murder maven and made her a much bigger character kind of explaining the satanic call while also it it fed in thematically with it that. First maybe you think she’s like someone helpful but no, she’s just like a true crime podcaster being like this is great here. Maybe you’ll be a new body for you know like so that was ah a fun character. But yeah, the um, her expanded role was because of some some notes from the um test screening. So I’m so glad we did that.

27:01.60
jim_phoenix
I am too because it also um, and I guess this is a little spoilery but ah, it also creates a red herring as well because um, that was kind of like my thought of like oh this is somebody who’s. You know partaking and and this and also stalking them or something like that you know and and she was just she was her own character and I I thought that was really interesting as well.

27:19.70
Travis
Um, yeah.

27:28.50
Travis
Were you? Um, the first time at least do you find yourself reading or watching more when you were watching it down.

27:34.20
jim_phoenix
You know I think I was watching more but then I started getting little hints and pickups of like oh oh they’re talking about something that is important and I think that’s um I had heard I’d seen another critic that had said it was very distracting but to me. That’s rewatchability. You know there’s a reason why I’ve watched it 5 times because I can find something that’s a little bit different with each viewing that you find and I think that enhances it rather than distracts from it if you’re like going into it just being like okay well I’m just going to watch this movie. You’re not going to get. Everything to it. You know there’s layers to it which is what I liked. Um, so I think if I if you know listeners you know if that’s something that people like this is a very rewatchable film because of that I think a lot of people will still will.

28:12.10
Travis
Um, yeah.

28:28.80
jim_phoenix
Be watching it first and then go back to read more of the comments. But of course the foot guy was the funniest you know? ah.

28:34.16
Travis
That of course dude Peter P P show feet is ah is a good one. So yeah, there is yeah I think he’ve. Yeah I think that’s probably the top top character. So maybe we can do a spinoff with him.

28:41.12
jim_phoenix
Ah, he’s a good guide.

28:49.98
Travis
We did think about even cast you know at the end we have the faces where’re like should we do a peter peepe and now I’m like man. Maybe we should have I’m not sure who that would have would have been but um, maybe it’s better from remain mysterious like you’re not sure who Peter Peepe is yeah.

28:50.50
jim_phoenix
Ah.

29:02.10
jim_phoenix
I think so yeah, put it into your imagination. You know be any of us any 1 of us walking the street. Um, so now that we’re talking more about you know the phantom and the the toxic ah frat boys the movie.

29:07.82
Travis
Yeah.

29:19.43
jim_phoenix
Focus is a lot too on toxic fandom and what were kind of you know your inspirations or your thoughts of that going into it. Um, because in the short there’s there’s a bit of that as well.

29:30.34
Travis
Yeah, like if we’re going to get thematically into it I think I think what’s sometimes lost in these conversations with toxic personalities is that people are watching and enabling them and if no one is watching then. You know there there is no whatever Paul Brothers or whatever reality Tv show villain you want to talk about you know what? I mean like it’s it’s watching and enabling that and it’s like you know I think it’s it’s like a circle of like the characters are sometimes doing these crazy things. But they’re.

29:55.10
jim_phoenix
Is beneath.

30:09.61
Travis
Kind of doing it because the audience is egging it on and wanting to see it whether it’s just like a hate watch or whatever so you kind of this circle of dehumanization going on that you know I think was really interesting to um to explore you know and like what are it’s yeah like why are people people watching this and. So I think that’s that’s 1 thing going on and then it’s I don’t know it’s how responsible. So let’s say you are I don’t have an answer to this. But if you do put your content out to the world. Are you responsible for how it’s interpreted. You know it’s ah it’s a real question because there’s something with. Maybe when Chad um, was doing his shiha video which is one most ridiculous things we could come up with them like riding a girl in a cowboy hat which was super awkward and great to film I mean the actress told I had to like prep for I’m like this is not good. This guy gets the act and he was so cool. But um.

30:53.93
jim_phoenix
Ah, ah.

31:04.83
jim_phoenix
Um I liked her at the end too I liked you at the and La she did you make enough I’ve made enough money that was great.

31:06.43
Travis
You know it’s.

31:13.00
Travis
Yeah, we brought her back because she was in the short and then I hit her up I’m like do you would you want to come back for the feature. She’s like totally super cool. Um Juliet Fessel but um, yeah, so we like it. It was just like let’s say Chad had good intent. Let’s just for the sake of argument. You know. But then if frat guys are interpreting that as like you know in a really misogynistic way. What’s what is his responsibility for that I’m not saying there’s there’s an answer you know, like what you are you know what? I mean but it’s it is it is interesting and 1 thing that I tried to do in. Um, when outlining the story.

31:41.84
jim_phoenix
Um, yeah.

31:50.51
Travis
Is kind of make sure that chad’s so-called support system in a way or worse than him like his cousin sucks and is probably just as bad if not worse than him. The frat guys. Or even work like it’s kind of like reap what you sow like the frack guys were a super fun opportunity for me to kind of have these guys come in and he thinks he’s saved and they suck so hard and he has to like ride and hear you know how they’re misinterpreting whatever he put out there. So I think that was one of our tactics for getting. Sympathy for Chad is just seeing these people around like his frenzy texts or just fucking with them. So you know, um, it was getting that and um, we had some subplots that we didn’t I don’t know if we got to and but we had a whole a strange parent thing going on with Chad but it seemed a little too much a little too much to try to.

32:38.32
jim_phoenix
Oh.

32:42.73
Travis
Try to tackle. Maybe that we’re trying a little too hard. Um, but we did think in the script and we were shooting and spencer maybe even did a thing in one of the um, the opening scenes Spencer ah loving the actor playing Chad. But I think we had like a brother. He was just trying to wish happy birthday to in a strange mom that wouldn’t. Text and back so we had some extra layers of Chad that we ultimately didn’t think we needed in the final cut I felt like Spencer did um such a good job portraying that part that I think the sympathy was there so I ultimately talked to the vfx and we we cut those parts out. But um.

33:03.45
jim_phoenix
Um.

33:19.91
Travis
Kind of long answer. But yeah, um, toxic Fandom bad.

33:24.70
jim_phoenix
Yeah, and honestly what I liked about it too is in a way they become the villain as well. His fans become the villains. Um like when they call him you know during a very pivotal moment and um, just basically to be dicks you know like.

33:38.60
Travis
Shit.

33:42.70
jim_phoenix
And having to to navigate that and deal with that and he’s arguing with them. You know for them to save him and they’re all like fuck you you know like glad you’re getting it. Um.

33:52.88
Travis
Yeah, it was. It was fun and we had the not one one call moment was from the short and I loved it so much I’m like I’m not going to top this. So I put that in and so then the feature it was what else can they do and it’s like give him bad directions like. Prank call nine 1 1 and so they think it’s all just a prank. You know what? I mean so it was kind of working to actively have a large portion of the audience like rooting against him and doing everything they could to get this, get him, get him killed yeah, get him maxed coming up with cool hashtags.

34:12.78
jim_phoenix
Yeah.

34:21.23
jim_phoenix
Get him axed.

34:26.91
jim_phoenix
So tender feelings swipe right on my heart is available for purchase on Amazon.

34:29.60
Travis
6

34:36.24
Travis
Decided to register that you know we’re going to put it out there I Just in case it goes viral. We decided to ah to put put tender feelings out I think it worked really well for ticktock like bad tender dates but tender feelings you that is your score.

34:46.76
jim_phoenix
Can you talk about like some of the process of incorporating the music into the film because you also wrote Champ chadpeen too right.

34:57.92
Travis
Yeah, it’s the worst song ever? Yeah, um, for sure. Ah, for the short. Yeah I wrote the worst theme song ever and Mike Nicholas our producer of the short and post producer of the feature was able to find um, somebody who knocked that out for us and did a. Did a great job but better than a champ better than a champ. You’re a chad. You’re a Chad. You’re a chad be and there. Yeah, that’s the thear I think I’m to branch off into music here. Um, so we add that in tinder feelings was kind of the same type of thing like what’s a bad song so Kimberton and I wrote kind of like.

35:26.44
jim_phoenix
Um.

35:34.41
Travis
Ah, really bad song about you know swipe right of my heart so I left on your doubts all we need is wait our love to figure this out. It just was bad and then for that I was super happy. We went on. Ah do you know Fiverr. So we went on that and there is a um.

35:48.93
jim_phoenix
Yep, yeah.

35:52.90
Travis
Super talented producer composer and singer we got to sign on and do it and he killed it did an amazing job recording it and um, initially actually so cam can s the actor plays some Spencer can sing so we’re gonna have him do it but just for budgetary reasons and logistics were like well this. This voice sounds good but um and the guy was cool with it. We um, gave him a little extra money for the vocal track and such but his condition was he didn’t want his um his name on it because he’s like yeah actual singer um, doing well where he’s from. He didn’t want like this to come up on his Spotify track list. So um.

36:27.31
jim_phoenix
Ah.

36:30.30
jim_phoenix
I Don’t know why.

36:31.32
Travis
I think like I think in it. Yeah, so it’s credited by ah think we put Spencer Logan as the ah like that’s the character’s name and that’s the ah the singer of it. But it’s a catchy song it. It will get in your head.

36:38.46
jim_phoenix
Yeah, it is a catchy song and it was it was fun to have diagetic music in it and then also have his you know, show up on Amazon and I was very surprised about that.

36:56.47
Travis
Yeah, and then we have a um we have a score in it and um, that was super fun. Did you notice the score. That’s it’s a it’s a compliment So it.

37:02.63
jim_phoenix
I didn’t actually so I’ll have to go back and.

37:10.83
Travis
It’s there and if you well actually I think you’ve watched it enough. You’ve earned your shit. But um, if you click around what was so cool about that is um, the first cut didn’t have a scores the short had no music was all digest and um, ah we played it and it just wasn’t quite landing and um.

37:14.66
jim_phoenix
Ah, things. Ah.

37:28.16
Travis
Our co-producer Patrick Reardin was really pushing for a score and I was thinking like Halloween screen which are dome wrong amazing scores but just would take you out of it and he’s like no, you just keep it natural and so um, he hook me up with this composer Brian Deming who like totally got it and we’re like we wanted to be organic. We wanted to feel natural. So he went down to his basement and started dragging the axe on concrete and that was the base of of of the score and it’s it started from a natural axe. It doesn’t really start till he spoiler you know faces off of burzelow and you hear that axe dragging sound and then he.

38:02.48
jim_phoenix
Yeah, yeah.

38:05.93
Travis
Just made that more and more he added some cricket sounds outside and stuff but the scores all kind of based from organic tones and um so it kind of even though it’s Non-digjetic. It’s kind of digjetic and it’s um, yeah, just this weird creepy drone. That’s that’s going on that really enhanced it and um, yeah I think it’s it’s.. It’s pretty unique because it was hard for us to even find examples what we wanted him to do but he just took it upon himself to make kind of a natural score that yeah was started with natural sound effects and then by the end is like this creepy drone. Um undertone going on that was super great.

38:39.40
jim_phoenix
That’s amazing. Yeah I did not I’ll have to go back Definitely and and try to listen for that because I did not hear it. Yeah but I’ll have to have to put my headphones on. Yeah.

38:50.95
Travis
That’s good like I said that was he the composer knew it that was like our it was like you shouldn’t yeah I think that was our instructions like you shouldn’t even know it’s there. It should still full but it should feel so natural that you weren’t even where there was a score because you’re through Halloween or or scream or you know like something awesome. That works all well for those then you know you’re it’s going to take you out of this like in-world found footage movie.

39:13.83
jim_phoenix
Absolutely absolutely and I think that’s fantastic and and congratulations to him because he did he nailed it like you everybody nailed it to be honest, um now.

39:23.52
Travis
Thank you.

39:31.10
jim_phoenix
Speaking of everybody nailing it. You worked it looks like you worked with a tightknit crew. Um, how did they add to what you originally envisioned or wrote um like just with the effects with um, everything.

39:44.80
Travis
Yeah, it was um on all levels. It was like ah such a great talented crew and I think we talked about you know from the digjetic musicians who are nailing the songs or whatever form like the inworld songs but um, for instance, um. The murder house or whatever. Um, that was fun. Um Kimmerton helped track that down he was based in he goes between lizzan and Los Angeles on Los Angeles based so he went there and I wish he was here because he tells the story better than me. But um, he went to scout it for the first time.

40:01.46
jim_phoenix
Yes, yes.

40:20.18
Travis
And um, it’s this really kind of suspect place. It’s in the middle of the city. So. There’s a super kroger’s right across from it. But apparently it’s there’s been so he gets there with the guy to show him and the guy like a measly like knocks really loudly on the door and he’s like. I’m coming in and I’m armed then he pulls out a gun and Kimberron’s like what’s going on. He’s like sorry there’s been some people hanging out here and squadtting here and apparently they’re in a cult or something and Kimberton’s kind of like well that’s scary but also kind of perfect. Um. And he checked it out apparently and there’s some blood on the stairs. There was actually river blood and like yeah, but anyway long long story short Kimmertons tell me all this so I’m excited to see the house for the first time and I fly in and I’m looking at it I’m like.

40:54.72
jim_phoenix
I Saw that that’s wild.

41:10.65
Travis
This is amazing and I’m like um, you know this house is so trashed and it’s exactly as I envisioned it and this cabinet’s perfectly here and there’s even locks outside the door that’s creepy and then there’s a post already right? where it needs to wooden post with a chain I’m like what are the odds and then Reese rock the production designers like I built all this and I’m like. Yeah, great I mean yeah, so like he did I’m an idiot and he did yeah such a good job and and already even spending two weeks realizing my vision and he was awesome and yeah, everyone was okay with putting on multiple hats which is great like he was also our um, our. He helped with costume production design. He was like our stunt driver. Um, lot of people had a chance to be like well you know other burros and stuff so that the axe murderer so that was that was fun and so yeah, everyone was okay with just ah I got to do a shout out to um, our our audio supervisor Brett. Um, we get there and we still hadn’t figured out a good way to do video village because the whole thing was shot on iphones and one I wanted to watch for the short it was so short I’d literally have Spencer do a take then we could watch it together but you know this we wanted to get.

42:11.76
jim_phoenix
Then.

42:22.42
Travis
Faster and you can put adapters on your phone and stuff but it starts making it really bulky. So we didn’t want that and so Brett was like um what if you just do screen mirror and we get an Apple Tv and I’m like that’s crazy. But what if that worked so we got Apple Tv set it up to a television and we just turn on screen mirror. We had an instant video village and so we got to the point where we um, we do have to bring a mini generator. We’re out in the woods in the middle of Vienna with Apple Tv in a monitor used to to watch and it was um it it worked really well I keep we even made it behind the scenes video to send to Apple I don’t think they ever got it. But it was you know I can’t like. We shot with the iphones and it worked so well. So and you know, um I’m getting off track here. But anyway everyone yeah, everyone did a lot of things and it was a super talented crew. The the ad was down with doing ex slating and stuff like that or running like it. It just was everyone was really.

43:08.79
jim_phoenix
Um, that’s that’s amazing though. Yeah.

43:21.19
Travis
Into doing whatever and and you know it goes a little way back like from the actors I was saying who were also having to help help film. So I think everyone guy was kind of an indie production and um, you know we knocked it out and we tried to you know, um within that we were doing you know? Um, we tried to keep it five day weeks 10 hour days so everyone could come and give it. Ah, hundred ten percent and then just chill and not work crazy long over time or not even do six day weeks and yes it was it was I was so lucky to have such ah such a good crew. It’s an interesting question because um.

43:49.15
jim_phoenix
How long did it take to film it.

43:57.10
Travis
My lime producer we were actually that was like question our premiere film less and he’s like oh no, it took like you know like twelve shooting days and it did. We got it done um actually or we finished a day or 2 early which was kind of unheard of because we factor we assume more things were going to go wrong, but we were able to still kind of soldier through and is so dialed in.

44:07.81
jim_phoenix
Um, wow.

44:16.17
Travis
So was like a two and a half week shoot there. But then you know like I shot for a few days in Los Angeles before and after and then we had to shoot all the stuff with the cousin we had to so there’s a lot of like extra stuff just pickup shoots or whatever to get and just to complete all the media to not from the main shoot. But the main shoot was pretty smooth and you know because we didn’t it was pretty much. Ah, we we didn’t do tons of lighting. We did some you know to give it the right look but it had to be a general lighting setup for each scene because we’re shooting 3 60 all around um long takes. Obviously you know to keep that live stream feel going on and. Rehearsed with the ares tons and you know luckily once again I keep saying and working with such a great group that they just immediately were nailing it and so yeah, we were able to when we were going we were we were going and then you know I think um, the swamp was ah was probably the most challenging shoot because it was like.

45:14.26
jim_phoenix
Oh my gosh.

45:14.55
Travis
° um, at a swamp we’re fighting. It’s supposed to but it’s already drizzling. It’s like supposed to be pouring rain. Um, and so yeah, tenacia would have like 10 coats on and just try to warm up and then go and just give it and act like she’s just bubbly and fine like so such a trooper and then um camemerton. Was the one who volunteered to be burrows in the swamp. So he’s sitting in the swamp I’m like some virgin self like tenation I talking details like where should to grab on the shoe like the should just be mud here and Kimridge Sky guys I’m standing in a swamp right now. It’s ° can we just shoot so it um it was fun but everyone was like. Gung ho for and it and I think the shots worked out and it I think it was good to get out of the house and shoot something a little different. So.

45:57.55
jim_phoenix
Absolutely that was one of this the scares that did get me actually so I I I knew something was going to be but I think just the way that it it was shot so quickly I think that really worked in that you the whole.

46:04.33
Travis
Again.

46:17.54
jim_phoenix
Movie and I know I said this in my nightmarish conjurings thing. Um you know because there’s that whole hitchcock quote of you know you show everybody the Bomb. Everybody’s going to you know, have all of these emotions. But if you show only the audience The bomb You know we’re going to feel the tension whereas the characters don’t. And I’m paraphrasing obviously um, but that’s how this movie really felt is we as the audience kept seeing things that the characters were not seeing and that added so much to the suspense and the tension of that did now I know you did um.

46:37.71
Travis
Again.

46:55.26
jim_phoenix
Some sci-fi but did you usually work in like suspense or or like thrillers or things like that.

47:02.20
Travis
no I you know I did I mean you know no and yes there are like there is a lot of um. I worked on an Mtv show called the challenge which is like a competition show but point being there’s a lot of like countdown pictures like survivor except with like younger Mtv people and then also more drinking and partying or whatever but they’re still doing these actiony challenges right? and that kind of did help with pay pacing intention of like. Lingering on those shots and stuff and making sure the um the moment hits right? So I had that is ah is a background but no I wanted to make sure I um I got that part right? And so 1 thing especially with the um feature is I made sure to go back and watch you know your blair weights your grave encounters paranormal activity. And see what they’re doing that worked for me what what scared me and there’s just a lot of cool shots and stuff in that that inspired me and um, another thing that was important for that is what I realized is um, you can’t rely on a score on paranormal activity or. Graven encounters the found footage. So I’m like what are they doing for the jump scares and I’m like okay we need someone to like you know water is good and break it water you know, like axes get you know like we have to have those hard hits to make the um make the sound effect land and then yeah I think it’s just about um.

48:26.30
Travis
Letting the shots go longer than you think they need to be and even that I’m still learning I just shut another proof of concept horror short and I got back and I’m like still was like fuck I should have shot this longer. You know so it’s like really really as a director I’m trying to get better at making sure I hold on those shots and you know and you got to figure out when to break away from the tension. Not to. Go back to this focus group thing too much but there was 1 or 2 things where the the gin scare they’re like I don’t know if they actually noted that but they’re like we wish there’s a little more buildup to some of the scares and that was something so originally with the the gin scare. She actually gets a call from ah Spencer. And he makes it’s it’s a pretty funny joke about like we could do a song with your cat like I need you write me out like it was just and it played funny but it was still undercutting the tensions. You just heard this sound. That’s like okay we don’t we. Don’t want that there but then sometimes for instance, not to go through. You know there’s a. professor pat hotwiring a car was like the perfect. Let’s get people calm and comedy. So yeah I I didn’t have tons of experience but I tried to make sure to do the research and I have quite a lot of experience with with editing um, that’s kind of my main thing so I knew to kind of try to drag out those things.

49:25.90
jim_phoenix
Ah.

49:41.66
Travis
Build up the tension. Um I am sad you didn’t get a chance to see it in a theater I don’t want under cause it’s only available on streamer now. But um, it it was when you have that five one sound going and that like it it was um it it was amazing and um, it actually changed my whole.

49:47.39
jim_phoenix
I told.

50:00.43
Travis
Perspective on theaters even though I’ve been a theater goer you know, but I’ve never been like avid I’ll go to a movie like once a month um but now I get it. Ah you know chrispher noll you know I’m like okay I see it because it’s like it is even more awesome in the theater. Um, but if you’re listening this, it still plays really well on a Tv.

50:15.70
jim_phoenix
It does.

50:17.40
Travis
It’s even more disconcerting on a phone because I think it feels more real. Um, if you want to put headphones you get better sounds. So it’s not not um, Oppenheimer here. You can you can watch it on on streaming your phone. But yeah.

50:33.53
jim_phoenix
Yeah, you know and it is funny I’m just going to say this real quick I’m just going to ask? um because you’re talking about Mtv and some of the mo ah things that you were working on. Um, did you ever get to see um a show back because I’m also an older millennial. Call them Tvs fear and that was very going into. Yeah.

50:52.18
Travis
Oh yeah, my um mine my neighbor when I moved in to my apartment in college was was on that. So um, yeah, that was that was.

51:00.10
jim_phoenix
Really oh my gosh.

51:06.47
Travis
That show was wild and I was like was it and she was like no I felt a good like because I was like no this is stay and I I think they cast the right people who are susceptible. You know likes different on that. So like Eric um Eric Gibson our our producer is um.

51:13.91
jim_phoenix
Yeah, yeah.

51:23.38
Travis
A little more i’ say scare but he he was not having like I’m not going to go to the murder house. We’re shooting at it at 2 am m but my mind it’s still on directing I wait literally a couple times went and scouted it like by myself with a flashlight and I’m like Kimmerton just meet me is like you want me to meet you at the murder house at one thirty in the morning and I’m like yeah. Nike’s like I don’t but um, yeah fear did you ah were you a fan of fear back in the day. Yeah, that that show is cool.

51:47.49
jim_phoenix
I was such a fan. Yes, yeah, that was and it’s funny that you said that too because um, my dad used to work for pandavision and there was a couple times in Detroit they would be in ah like an abandoned warehouse and stuff in.

51:55.15
Travis
And.

52:05.64
jim_phoenix
Even the security guards would be like you know what I quit like too. It’s too weird. It’s too creepy you know and it’s kind of funny. Ah.

52:11.96
Travis
Yeah, it’s and I get scared I still get scared of certain certain things. But I think it’s just yeah I have issues and I get when it’s directing. It’s like my mind is so focused I forget to be scared because I’m just. Thinking about the the movie so much and not the yeah, there’s real blood and there are people there and I’m going to? Yeah, so I’m not the smartest first. Yeah I’m not saying Eric and Kimberton are wrong I think they’re right I think I’m the one who’s um, not scared enough.

52:28.95
jim_phoenix
And the the house could have been a murder house you found real blood.

52:47.31
jim_phoenix
All right? So I heard through whispers and by whispers I mean through your Instagram ah that you brought one of the props home. Yeah.

52:57.54
Travis
Yes, yeah, the dead bodies. Um, we have. It’s been a back forth. So we um, how do you fly? A dead body is a good question that my um, my parents actually live in Shreveport where we shot the movie. So my dad figured it out. Um, and bought a giant duffel bag. We put a dead body in it and we show up at the airport and they’re like what’s in that I’m like a dead body like ha ha ha and they’re scanning in. They’re giving me this sideline there I like so we flew it all the way back to Los Angeles um for a while we now have um.

53:35.59
Travis
2 had 2 dead bodies because I bought one for the short as well. My wife was just you know, thrilled that werere ah that did these props people. Yeah um, so no, they we put it out took pictures and stuff and um, right now it is.

53:42.47
jim_phoenix
Um, you’re collecting dead bodies.

53:52.87
Travis
Back in shrife porks. Another friend used it for a movie and we’re in the process of cutting it up and sending body parts of it to influencers for unboxing to help promote the movie so that we’re giving. Yeah, we’re really trying to maximize use every part of the ah the dead body and let none of it go to waste.

54:04.19
jim_phoenix
That’s amazing.

54:10.11
jim_phoenix
You should have a Patreon and the more you spend the better. The the body piece.

54:11.60
Travis
So.

54:15.80
Travis
Yeah, you get the ribs if you put enough in or the head. Yeah I think I’m gonna keep the head for myself I was talking to rees and I’m gonna have you you know like Futu Rama like the head jars or whatever. Um, um, that’s what I was thinking and and my wife actually surprising is on board with that. She’s like okay thatll.

54:28.83
jim_phoenix
Um.

54:32.13
jim_phoenix
Well I mean it’s not a whole dead body. It’s just the the head. You know it’s yeah so all right last couple questions. How do people go and buy Chad gets the answer. How do they.

54:33.31
Travis
Dollars though. Yeah, just the head So the bot Yeah, the whole one was a little excessive. So.

54:50.44
jim_phoenix
Find like updates is there I know there’s the Instagram but what else is there.

54:51.40
Travis
Sure we got a lot. We tried that we got a chag gets the ax instagram at jag gets the axe we have um jag gets the ae dot com which is nice that we’ll give you the link tree of all the places to get it. We have a Facebook if you’re. Elder millennial or parents or whatever you are who still uses that. Um, we got we. We got that? Um, we have a ticktok that I’ve been working with the um with the ah Spencer’s ah girlfriend is very she’s she’s kind of helping with our social media manager. So we have a Tiktok. We’re doing all kinds of fun stuff. Um, a chag gets the ae tiktok. Ah, you can follow me at the Travis bible on Instagram and um I guess most importantly, if you you know the link trees everywhere chaitex dot com but it is available on just as a download or rent or purchase on Amazon apple google voodoo I think even Youtube yeah, all that any place you can. Ah, think you’ve in Vimeo. Any place you can pay or download. it’s it’s there so yeah I would um, we’re indie film. So it’s literally every every download helps every review helps if you want to rate us on I guess if you hated it. You don’t have to but even then go but i.

56:04.38
jim_phoenix
Yeah, ah you won’t get a good body part then mean a stinky old toe.

56:06.42
Travis
Yeah, you’ll get a bad.. You’re going to growing and get like a toe if you give us ah a once our yeah, but um, all that stuff helps it with a movie of our our level um to help kind of hopefully make it match with the algorithm and get it to ah to a wider audience because it’s at this point I Just you know. Hope as many people get a chance to to check it out as as possible.

56:27.10
jim_phoenix
And last question what are you working on next.

56:32.76
Travis
Um, I do have a a couple projects. But um I am finishing up ah visual effects and post-productions for a short about a demon that wipes people out of existence at a laser tag match and um, it’s going to be. Fun. It’s a little more horrorre. It’s not shot on phones. Um, but it’s actually proof a concept for ah, a feature script I have but I’m incapable of just kind of sitting for a year or two so I had to shoot something so we um you know made ah a shorter version. So yeah, that’s I would say that’s the main thing in this this space i’m. I’m working on and I’m you know super excited about that and hopefully getting that out there next year

57:14.53
jim_phoenix
That would be amazing. So I appreciate you coming here I appreciate you talking with us. Um I feel a little less angry now that we’ve kind of talked about everything and you know I feel calmer.

57:24.00
Travis
Good I you work through the works through these these feelings of resentment for for Chad getting the axe or whatever but you know.

57:31.61
jim_phoenix
You know? yeah I feel like we’re at a good place now. So I can finally give you a good review. So.

57:36.26
Travis
Good I appreciate that and it was graping on here and yeah, um, you know, um I like I said that was ah think your review was the the first one and it was very entertaining so very well written and you know and it didn’t hurt that you ended up lacking the movie. Don’t get me wrong, but um. Yeah, it’s so good. Yeah.

57:57.15
jim_phoenix
That was an aside ah all right? Thank you so much.

58:01.70
Travis
Thanks.

Real skull. Don't ask. You wouldn't believe it if I told you.

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Original Creations

Goodbye for Now, a Short Story by Jennifer Weigel

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What if ours weren’t the only reality? What if the past paths converged, if those moments that led to our current circumstances got tangled together with their alternates and we found ourselves caught up in the threads?


Marla returned home after the funeral and wake. She drew the key in the lock and opened the door slowly, the looming dread of coming back to an empty house finally sinking in. Everyone else had gone home with their loved ones. They had all said, “goodbye,” and moved along.

Her daughter Misty and son-in-law Joel had caught a flight to Springfield so he could be at work the next day for the big meeting. Her brother Darcy was on his way back to Montreal. Emmett and Ruth were at home next door, probably washing dishes from the big meal they had helped to provide afterward, seeing as their kitchen light was on. Marla remembered there being food but couldn’t recall what exactly as she hadn’t felt like eating. Sandwiches probably… she’d have to thank them later.

Marla had felt supported up until she turned the key in the lock after the services, but then the realization sank deep in her throat like acid reflux, hanging heavy on her heart – everyone else had other lives to return to except for her. She sighed and stepped through the threshold onto the outdated beige linoleum tile and the braided rag rug that stretched across it. She closed the door behind herself and sighed again. She wiped her shoes reflexively on the mat before just kicking them off to land in a haphazard heap in the entryway.

The still silence of the house enveloped her, its oppressive emptiness palpable – she could feel it on her skin, taste it on her tongue. It was bitter. She sighed and walked purposefully to the living room, the large rust-orange sofa waiting to greet her. She flopped into its empty embrace, dropping her purse at her side as she did so.

A familiar, husky voice greeted her from deeper within the large, empty house. “Where have you been?”

Marla looked up and glanced around. Her husband Frank was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, drying a bowl. Marla gasped, her hand shooting to her mouth. Her clutched appendage took on a life of its own, slowly relinquishing itself of her gaping jaw and extending a first finger to point at the specter.

“Frank?” she spoke hesitantly.

“Yeah,” the man replied, holding the now-dry bowl nestled in the faded blue-and-white-checkered kitchen towel in both hands. “Who else would you expect?”

“But you’re dead,” Marla spat, the words falling limply from her mouth of their own accord.

The 66-year old man looked around confusedly and turned to face Marla, his silver hair sparkling in the light from the kitchen, illuminated from behind like a halo. “What are you talking about? I’m just here washing up after lunch. You were gone so I made myself some soup. Where have you been?”

“No, I just got home from your funeral,” Marla spoke quietly. “You are dead. After the boating accident… You drowned. I went along to the hospital – they pronounced you dead on arrival.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Frank said. “What boating accident?”

“The sailboat… You were going to take me out,” Marla coughed, her brown eyes glossed over with tears.

“We don’t own a sailboat,” Frank said bluntly. “Sure, I’d thought about it – it seems like a cool retirement hobby – but it’s just too expensive. We’ve talked about this, we can’t afford it.”

Marla glanced out the bay window towards the driveway where the small sailboat sat on its trailer, its orange hull reminiscent of the Florida citrus industry, and also of the life jacket Frank should have been wearing when he’d been pulled under. Marla cringed and turned back toward the kitchen. She sighed and spoke again, “But the boat’s out front. The guys at the marina helped to bring it back… after you… drowned.”

Frank had retreated to the kitchen to put away the bowl. Marla followed. She stood in the doorway and studied the man intently. He was unmistakably her husband, there was no denying it even despite her having just witnessed his waxen lifeless body in the coffin at the wake before the burial, though this Frank was a slight bit more overweight than she remembered.

“Well, that’s not possible. Because I’m still here,” Frank grumbled. He turned to face her, his blue eyes edged with worry. “There now, it was probably just a dream. You knew I wanted a boat and your anxiety just formulated the worst-case scenario…”

“See for yourself,” Marla said, her voice lilting with every syllable.

Frank strode into the living room and stared out the bay window. The driveway was vacant save for some bits of Spanish moss strewn over the concrete from the neighboring live oak tree. He turned towards his wife.

“But there’s no boat,” he sighed. “You must have had a bad dream. Did you fall asleep in the car in the garage again?” Concern was written all over his face, deepening every crease and wrinkle. “Is that where you were? The garage?”

Marla glanced again at the boat, plain as day, and turned to face Frank. Her voice grew stubborn. “It’s right here. How can you miss it?” she said, pointing at the orange behemoth.

“Honey, there’s nothing there,” Frank exclaimed, exasperation creeping into his voice.

Marla huffed and strode to the entryway, gathering her shoes from where they waited in their haphazard heap alongside the braided rag run on the worn linoleum floor. She marched out the door as Frank took vigil in its open frame, still staring at her. She stomped out to the boat and slapped her hand on the fiberglass surface with a resounding smack. The boat was warm to the touch, having baked in the Florida sun. She turned back towards the front door.

“See!” she bellowed.

The door stood open, empty. No one was there, watching. Marla sighed again and walked back inside. The vacant house once again enveloped her in its oppressive emptiness. Frank was nowhere to be found.

Sailboat drawing in reverse by Jennifer Weigel
Sailboat drawing in reverse by Jennifer Weigel

So I guess it’s goodbye for now. Feel free to check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or here on her website.

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Original Series

Nightmarish Nature: Just Jellies

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Today on Nightmarish Nature we’re gonna revisit The Blob and jiggle our way to terror. Why? ‘Cause we’re just jellies – looking at those gelatinous denizens of the deep, as well as some snot-like land-bound monstrosities, and wishing we could ooze on down for some snoozy booze schmoozing action. Or something.

Ooze on in for some booze schmoozin' action
Ooze on in for some booze schmoozin’ action

Honestly, I don’t know what exactly it is that jellyfish and slime molds do but whatever it is they do it well, which is why they’re still around despite being among the more ancient organism templates still in common use.

Jellyfish are on the rise.

Yeah, yeah, some species like moon jellies will hang out in huge blooms near the surface feeding, but that’s not what I meant. Jellyfish populations are up. They’re honing in on the open over-fished ocean and making themselves at home. Again.

And, although this makes the sea turtles happy since jellies are a favorite food staple of theirs, not much else is excited about the development. Except for those fish that like to hide out inside of their bells, assuming they don’t accidentally get eaten hanging out in there. But that’s a risk you gotta take when you’re trying to escape predation by surrounding yourself in a bubble of danger that itself wants to eat you. Be eaten or be eaten. Oh, wait…

Fish hiding in jellyfish bell
In hiding…

So what makes jellies so scary?

Jellyfish pack some mighty venom. Despite obvious differences in mobility, they are related to anemones and corals. But not the Man o’ War which looks similar but is actually a community of microorganisms that function together as a whole, not one creature. Not that it matters when you’re on the wrong end of a nematocyst, really. Because regardless what it’s attached to, that stings.

Box jellies are among the most venomous creatures in the world and can move of their own accord rather than just drifting about like many smaller jellyfish do. And even if they aren’t deadly, the venom from many jellyfish species will cause blisters and lesions that can take a long time to heal. So even if they do resemble free-floating plastic grocery bags, you’d do best to steer clear. Because those are some dangerous curves.

Jellies in bloom
Jellies in bloom

But what does this have to do with slime molds?

Absolutely nothing. I honestly don’t know enough about jellyfish or slime molds to devote the whole of a Nightmarish Nature segment to either, so they had to share. Essentially, this bit is what happened when I decided to toast a bagel before coming up with something to write about and spent a tad too much time in contemplation of my breakfast. I guess we’re lucky I didn’t have any cream cheese or clotted cream…

Jellies breakfast of champions
Jellies breakfast of champions

Oh, and also thinking about gelatinous cubes and oozes in the role-playing game sense – because those sort of seem like a weird hybrid between jellies and slime molds, as does The Blob. Any of those amoeba influenced creatures are horrific by their very nature – they don’t even need to be souped up, just ask anyone who’s had dysentery.

And one of the most interesting thing about slime molds is that they can take the shortest path to food even when confronted with very complex barriers. They are maze masterminds and would give the Minotaur more than a run for his money, especially if he had or was food. They have even proven capable of determining the most efficient paths for water lines or railways in metropolitan regions, which is kind of crazy when you really think about it. Check it out in Scientific American here. So, if we assume that this is essentially the model upon which The Blob was built, then it’s kind of a miracle anything got away. And slime molds are coming under closer scrutiny and study as alternative means of creating computer components are being explored.

Jellies are the Wave of the Future.

We are learning that there may be a myriad of uses for jellyfish from foodstuffs to cosmetic products as we rethink how we interact with them. They are even proving useful in cleaning up plastic pollution. I don’t know how I feel about the foodstuff angle for all that they’ve been a part of various recipes for a long time. From what I’ve seen of the jellyfish cookbook recipes, they just don’t look that appealing. But then again I hate boba with a passion, so I’m probably not the best candidate to consider the possibility.

So it seems that jellies are kind of the wave of the future as we find that they can help solve our problems. That’s pretty impressive for some brainless millions of years old critter condiments. Past – present – perpetuity! Who knows what else we’d have found if evolution hadn’t cleaned out the fridge every so often?

Feel free to check out more Nightmarish Nature here.

Vampires Among Us

Perilous Parenting

Freaky Fungus

Worrisome Wasps

Cannibalism

Terrifying Tardigrades

Reindeer Give Pause

Komodo Dragons

Zombie Snails

Horrifying Humans

Giants Among Spiders

Flesh in Flowers

Assassin Fashion

Baby Bomb

Orca Antics

Creepy Spider Facts

Screwed Up Screwworms

Scads of Scat

Starvation Diet

Invisibles Among Us

Monstrous Mimicry

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Doctor Who

Identical: Yes.  The Same: No – Exploring the World of AI Reconstructions in Doctor Who

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Doctor Who AI Reconstruction - Marco Polo

The second half of 2024 was a bit of slow for Doctor Who news.  Ncuti Gatwa’s first season finished in June, and the Christmas special was months away.  Comics and audio plays continued, and a Blu-Ray set of Season 25 was released – but that was all. 

However, what was new and exciting was a spate of unofficial recreations of missing Doctor Who stories from the sixties.  Re-animations of missing stories have occurred previously, both officially by the BBC and unofficially by fans. However, animation production time means it’s rare to have more than a few episodes a year.  However within the space of six months, forty-four recreated episodes were released, with the promise of more to come. 

Ian Levine - Interviewed for the Lost in Time Documentary

The reason how so many stories have been released so quickly is artificial intelligence (AI). These reconstructions are Generative AI, funded by professional songwriter, film producer, and fan, Ian Levine.  This decision to make Doctor Who AI Reconstructions, to put it mildly, has been controversial online. 

But is it worth it, in order to having otherwise missing stories returned to us?  I’ve examined many of these Doctor Who AI reconstructions, and the discourse around them, to find out.

In Brief – Missing Episodes

A decent proportion of Doctor Who’s earliest years shockingly does not exist anymore.  Doctor Who is one of the BBC’s biggest revenue raisers, and most famous show around the world.  However it was not always the case. 

When Doctor Who first began in 1963, the idea of keeping media was not really considered.  Home video did not exist, and would not exist for two decades.  Repeats were rare, due to the costs at the time to store old material and pay people involved in them.  Also, old film presented a fire hazard.  So it was often disposed of. 

Still from Doctor Who - Feast of Steven, an episode entirely lost from BBC Archives

Despite this, Doctor Who is fairly lucky compared to other series.  Firstly, fans at the time recorded the audio of each story. This means even the first ever Christmas Special – “A Feast of Stephen,” never broadcast internationally or repeated, still exists as an audio. 

Doctor Who is also lucky because of only six seasons are not complete. In addition, of those six seasons, only half are missing only episodes from one or two stories.  This allows us to get a feel for the early years of Doctor Who in a way fans of other series, like “Quatermass” and “The Avengers” aren’t able to.  And part of the reason most of these early seasons survive is due to Ian Levine.

Who is Ian Levine?

Ian Levine professionally is a songwriter and DJ.  He has written and produced records connected to such bands as Take That, Pet Shop Boys, Bananarama and Bucks Fizz. His total sales exceed 40 million records. 

He is also well known as a prominent Doctor Who fan.  There are many prominent Doctor Who fans. The series from 2004 onwards has been largely made by prominent Doctor Who fans of the 70’s and 80’s.  Many of these fans contribute to Doctor Who in official ways.  For instance, many older fans have written books, or audio plays.  All three showrunners for the modern series would be considered prominent fans from the nineties.  For Ian Levine, his main contribution is seeking to find and restore missing episodes of Doctor Who.

This work started in 1978 where Levine reportedly requested the permanent halting of old episodes of Doctor Who.  At the time the idea of home video was being considered, leading to more reasons to keep old film.  Levine also claimed to have rescued the first ever Dalek story from being sent into a furnace. Following this, he began purchasing private copies of the remaining stories, and attempting to return them to the BBC. 

Album cover for charity single "Doctor In Distress"

He also connected with the Doctor Who Production Team of the eighties in other ways.  This included composing the theme tune for the spin-off series “K-9 and Company”, and the protest/charity album “Doctor In Distress.” His was also consulted about continuity during seasons eighteen to twenty-two. 

However, he also gained a notorious reputation as obsessive in an unappealing way.  During the 1985 Doctor Who hiatus, Levine was encouraged by Producer Jon Nathan-Turner to use protest the decision.  Levine argued against the decision on television, and smashed his television with a hammer, and inviting newspapers to photograph it. 

So he is fan who has both done great things, but also sought notoriety and negative attention. 

Animated reconstruction of "Mission to the Unknown"

More recently, Levene has worked with animating missing or incomplete episodes. This started in 2010 with “Mission to the Unknown.” This was not allowed to be shared or sold due to it being made without BBC authorization.  In 2013, Ian hired an animated reconstruction of the unfinished story “Shada.” This version used pre-existing footage and new audio to create a finished product he hoped could be licensed.  However, the BBC chose not to. Instead they made their own animated version that was released four years later.

Sale
Doctor Who: Shada
  • Join the Doctor (Tom Baker), Romana (Lalla Ward), and K-9 (voiced by David Brierley) as a visit to a Time Lord living incognito on Earth leads to a desperate race to a distant prison planet
  • A BBC strike halted filming of this never-broadcast Baker six-episode serial written by “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” author Douglas Adams
  • Christopher Neame, Victoria Burgoyne co-star

Last update on 2025-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Subsequently, Levine made comments regarding Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor which were deemed by many to be sexist.  Levine responded by publicly quitting the fandom, though later created his own private Doctor Who Facebook group.

This group has now become the location where his AI recreations he has funded and received donations for are shared.

The Doctor Who AI Reconstructions – How to Access

The Facebook Page: “Ian Levine’s Facebook Group” requires an agreement to two questions to join.  Firstly, you must agree to respect the right to criticize Jodie Whittaker. Secondly, you must recognise this is Ian Levine’s group for sharing his opinions on Doctor Who.  Agree to all this, and you’re allowed in.

A screenshot from the Doctor Who AI reconstruction of The Massacre

Inside the group, Levine has shared around twenty videos. This includesall of “The Dalek Masterplan,” “The Massacre,” and “The Savages.” However for the remainder, you must make a donation of fifty pounds, to become a contributor to the series. 

Once your donation is confirmed, you are authorized to join the separate contributors group, for contributors only.  This is where all the current videos being made are released.

Except…. None of these videos are unavailable privately.  Ian Levine has placed them all on Youtube.  They are unlisted, so they cannot turn up in either a Google or YouTube search. However, if you have a direct link or URL to them, they are accessible to everyone.  Unlike other systems like Patreon which restrict content to only certain subscribers, nothing stops these links being shared elsewhere.

And of course, these links are shared.  In response, Levine has issued threats and warnings against other Facebook groups and leakers trying to destroy his vision.  In his group, people support him and join in denouncing those who criticize his work or mock it.  People outside the group in response denounce Ian Levine and his supporters. 

One thing I hate about internet culture is the push for tribalism. This is the idea we are joined in a selective tribe and must fight the rivals to connect.  Over time the views become more strict in supporting your own tribe, and rejecting the opposition, and the middle ground is lost.

In the case of Ian Levine’s group, this is best shown by the view of alternative animations of missing Doctor Who stories.  All of these are seen as not as good as Levine’s AI reconstructions. Levine’s reconstructions are seen as the only correct way Doctor Who is meant to be. 

Initially Ian Levine’s AI project aimed to complete the ten missing stories not completed by the BBC. The initial project recognised the slow time it took to animate missing stories, and focused on stories that were difficult and costly to animate with people. Very soon after, however, Levine denounced many of the prior animations as “Silly Scooby Doo Cartoons.” The project was quickly extended to include stories previously animated by the BBC.  Levine’s argument appears to be Levine’s objections to story changes animation had included. These included adding a surprise image of the Master in “Fury from the Deep”, prior to his debut appearance.  Given Levine’s history of making things for the BBC, with the hope the BBC would license them, there have been rumours Levine initially was hoping the BBC would license some of his AI recreations, which has not come to pass. 

Levine presents his animations as the most authentic way to view the missing episodes. Therefore appreciation of official animated reconstructions are not allowed.  A poster saying they enjoyed the animated version of “The Celestial Toymaker,” was informed by Levine tht anyone who enjoyed the animation was unwelcome.  Common responses of new animations being announced are people accusing the BBC of ruining another story.  When Levine had a fault pointed out in one of his stories by Frazer Hines, who played the second Doctor’s companion, Jamie, Levine’s first response was to accept that the animation had limitations, but insisted it was still better than any animation the BBC has made.  Most of all, posters all reinforce the message that AI reconstructions are the true version of the lost stories and the BBC are fools for not paying for them.

Doctor Who – The Celestial Toymaker [DVD]
  • The Celestial Toymaker sees the Doctor and his companions separated when they come up against the Toymaker
  • While the Doctor plays the Trilogic Game, Steven and Dodo are forced to play their own seemingly childish, but ultimately dangerous games, with the aim of being reunited and getting back to the TARDIS
  • Who will be the first to make a false move in this battle of wits, and will the TARDIS ever escape the Toymaker’s snare Fans of Doctor Who have long lamented the loss of the original 1966 master recordings of all except one of The Celestial Toymaker

Last update on 2025-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

In response to this, or provoking this, depending on your point of you, external Facebook groups and YouTube channels are highly critical of the AI reconstructions.  Some videos see them as threats, preventing the BBC from every investing in animation involving real people.  Some hav dismissed the project as a scam.

So with such strong opinions on both sides, it’s time to actually watch them.

The AI Reconstructions

Screenshot from the AI Reconstruction of The Dalek Masterplan

My first response on watching is they’re not that bad, but they’re not that good.  Animation varies wildly in quality from story to story, making it hard to tell an overall trend towards or away from quality.  However there are some good examples of how to recreate a story.  “The Massacre” and “The Dalek Masterplan” for instance are incredible to watch.  “The Savages” on the other hand is laughingly bad. 

I chose to mostly focus on the stories not yet officially animated, so as to judge these stories by their own merit rather than compare to other animated versions of the same stories.  However, it’s interesting the similarities that occur between the official animations and AI reconstructions.  Non human characters (Particularly Daleks) look and move great, but people largely do not. 

Animating People

Across most forms of Missing episode recovery, whether AI or human drawn, the difficulty is always animating people to show emotions and movement.  Many of the official BBC animations often leave characters looking like stick figures bobbing up and down. 

However one of the key things the official reconstructions provide is consistency.  A human being develops a pre-existing model for characters, and because of this, these characters stay consistent over time.  

AI on the other hand appears to forget things, or lose focus unless properly guided.  People’s faces can change dramatically from shot to shot to the point, as in “The Savages” characters can be unrecognizable.  This means, unlike with official animations, I often had to follow a story summary to figure out what was going on. 

AI also forgets smaller things that make people seem human.  In “The Highlanders” for instance the Doctor’s companion Polly does not blink for most of episode one, despite being in shot.  This is a small detail, but throws the story into the uncanny valley – characters involve look like people but they feel wrong based on how they act. 

William Hartnell as the Abbot of Amboise in the Doctor Who AI Reconstruction of "The Massacre"

Movement is a struggle for all reconstructions because human movement is difficult to animate.  Once again, “The Massacre” demonstrates small examples of movement than seem fluid, particularly in the first episode.  “The Savages” on the other hand has main characters seemingly to perform scissor jump spread legged when the script call on them to walk. 

How the animation occurs

William Hartnell's farewell for Susan - frequently used as a source clip for reconstructions

Having watched many of these animations, some of means AI generated these reconstructions became clearer.  A lot of these animations, especially some of the later ones, do not actually generate much new material, instead using existing material in different ways.  The First Doctor saying goodbye to Susan in the TARDIS, from Episode 6 of the Dalek Invasion of Earth, for instance is frequently re-used. This scene is redubbed multiple times in the reconstructions, when a missing story needs a scene of William Hartnell standing alone in the TARDIS.

Another method is using the telesnaps, and slightly animating the mouth and face.  This creates a sense of fluidity and movement, but a very limited one.  This is particularly noticeable in the Space Pirates. The resconstructions rely on switching between static photos of one cast member with mouths moving.  On the one hand, this is no worse than the telesnaps, but the telesnaps were aware of their limitations, so often would use narration or subtitles to fill the gaps.  However these reconstructions are presented as the most life like renditions of the missing episodes. As the original story did not have subtitles or narration, therefore, they are not allowed. As a result the story is incomprehensible. 

Benefit – it exists

But despite the complaints, there is a significant benefit in these reconstructions.  And that’s the fact that they exist. 

Currently nine missing stories have not been officially animated by the BBC.  I would love for all missing stories to be animated. However, the reality is most of the stories remaining might be too costly to animate. 

Of the nine stories, six are pure historicals – stories with no science fiction elements apart from the TARDIS and its crew.  These stories tended to have a larger number of human characters than stories with monsters, and a human being with their range of emotions is harder to animate than a Dalek. 

Historicals also tend to have more detailed and complex scene change. A story in the future can replicate cold, grey corridors throughout a space colony. Historicals however must recreate significant locations in the world at particular times in history. Having to recreate 15th century France, for instance, is made up of multiple distinct locations. This makes historical stories more time consuming and therefore costly to animate.  Therefore, despite stories being reanimated for almost twenty years now, the total number of historical episodes animated have been two – both missing episodes of the Reign of Terror.

For the remaining three stories, the limited human cast and isolated space station locations makes Wheel in Space relatively simple to animate.  The Space Pirates, may also be animated as the story focusing mostly on space ships should make some aspects of the design easier to manage.

That just leaves The Dalek Masterplan¸ a massive twelve episode story, with a one episode prequel, where the Daleks chase the Doctor throughout time and space.  The cast is huge, and while it is not a historical, the story would require animated sets of ancient Egypt during the building of the pyramids.  None of this would be easy to do on the current BBC animation budget. 

Therefore, it appears of the remaining nine missing stories, only two are highly likely to be animated. 

And this is where AI can play a role.  As AI does not rely much people, it means the costs to recreate a story like the Dalek Masterplan is significantly easier and cheaper than hiring a production studio to make it.  While the end result is not as good as a professionally animated episode, for stories where hiring professional animations is not feasible, this is one way for people to observe a version of a story we otherwise cannot access. 

Ultimately the frustrating thing about these reconstructions is they’re not allowed to be what they are.  If they were simply an attempt to make otherwise lost stories more accessible, without any pretention or idea of superiority they would be fine.  There are no shortages of fan made reconstructions, which vary in quality, but are all warmly received because they don’t pretend to be more than fan made animations. They are no better or worse than any other reconstructions.

If Levine’s reconstructions were presented with the same humbleness, the response would be more positive.  If Leveine would present it as a project, and be accepting of others not needing to accpet them, there would be less retaliation online. But they aren’t presented as a fun way to view a loss episode. The reconstructions are presented as the only correct way to view the stories, superior than any other effort.  In fact, he considers the stories no longer lost due to his AI reconstructions.

But by doing so, he puts the reconstructions on a pedestal of perfection.  But they aren’t perfect, not by a long shot. By Leveine presenting these as perfect, he ultimately encourages people to notice how they are lacking by comparing to perfection.  In comparison, more humble attempts of reconstruction, by presenting themselves as not the best, encourage people to notice what they do right.

So, try to enjoy the reconstructions for what they are.  Some are surprisingly good – especially The Dalek Masterplan and The Massacre, and it’s a chance to see stories animated that you may not get to see animated elsewhere.  But try to filter out all the rhetoric about how amazing and perfect they should be, and just enjoy them as they are.

2 out of 5 stars (2 / 5)

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