Join Jim as he interviews the biggest name in ‘adult fairy tales’ with LC Moon. Hear what makes them tick n tock and all things in between. All this and more on What’s Kraken!
Check out A Bedtime Story (Beauty Meets the Beast), the first installment of the Fairy Tales From the Underworld trilogy.
00:01.48
jim_phoenix
Hey, everyone Jim Phoenix here and boy do we have another exciting edition of what’s crackken. It is our ah our author edition look at that we are bringing you the biggest and brightest and best of the whole entire universe whirling galaxies depending which one’s bigger in your point of view. And we have none other than lcmoon who is the author of fairy tales from the underworld part one a bedtime story spoiler is not a bedtime story for kids beauty meets the beast Elsie how are you.
00:32.93
LC Moon
But I’m great. Thank you so much for having me Jim I really appreciate it.
00:37.10
jim_phoenix
Question number 1 and theoretical particle physics. No, that’s the wrong interview new set of questions. Sorry my bad so when when you were writing this I just want to kind of break through your.
00:42.67
LC Moon
Absolutely.
00:53.86
jim_phoenix
Your ability to write something does it go in your head first and then you get it in a page or you plot it out like chapter by chapter. How do you write your books having your book sealer. Yes.
01:02.33
LC Moon
Right? Well I mean this is my first book So I can about the technique so far and it’s actually I didn’t really have a technique. It’s been a story that’s been with me for so long and it’s always um.
01:20.50
LC Moon
It’s kind of started as a story I would tell myself before going to bed because you know always imagining this really intense relationship how it would play out at every. Night I would add on to it and add onto it until it became an actual like beginning to end act 1 act 2 act three stories and after that I would just I’ve always written but poetry I was never.
01:43.76
jim_phoenix
Um, right.
01:46.22
LC Moon
Never wrote a book I never set out to write a book but I always enjoyed reading for my own and I was disgusting with a friend and I was telling her like you know I thought of this really cool story blah blah blah you like Lin yeah, like you have to put it in a book. You know this is an amazing story. Yeah, like just write it and see where where you know you go from there. And I started just doing it on my own How I go is like I have to see the scene in my head first as if it was a movie and then I try to put on paper the I try to replicate what I see in my head on paper and that’s how I always go scene by scene when I’m writing.
02:09.58
jim_phoenix
Um, right.
02:22.99
jim_phoenix
That’s awesome and I wonder how close do you get from the senior head to the worth in the page.
02:29.63
LC Moon
How close I get from the senior head to the work. Yeah.
02:31.92
jim_phoenix
Seen in your head because you have this perfect vision in your head you’re gonna see everything and it’s gonna be this and this happens like a movie in your head. How close do you get that reality onto the page.
02:39.86
LC Moon
Yeah I Honestly will not stop until I get it So I can spend an entire evening on one. Stupidpid paragraph and like drive myself crazy and sometimes I’m in the zone and I’m Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom But as long as it doesn’t match exactly not just like what the characters are doing but the vibe the reaction the the manurism to me, they’re all.
02:53.72
jim_phoenix
Um, right.
02:58.94
jim_phoenix
Right.
03:06.38
LC Moon
Very real characters and it has to stay true to the authentic selves and the vibe and the mood of what I’m feeling and I want the ah the readers to go through how I felt when I was experiencing it in my head.
03:18.71
jim_phoenix
Well, that’s worth I think it comes through the perfection comes through us I know we review it is spoil alert. We reviewed it for our site and again fairy tales from the underworld part one a bedtime story beauty means the beast not for kids. And that’s I think’s being first thing our review says not for little kids but it is a bad time story from a certain point of view and from our review I know we’re gonna gush a bit we thought it was brilliantly done. It was smooth all the things popped out. It created the universe there. Some people have a hard time creating universes. So I think that.
03:53.77
LC Moon
Thank you, Thank you I am virgo so her perfectionist bite nature is a gift then it occurs and I but I think it’s definitely worth it at the end because there’s nothing worse than you’ you know you’re really submerge in an experience and then a bit of a dialogue or something just like.
03:54.31
jim_phoenix
Ah, hard work paid off right? I mean that’s from my point of view we are perfectionist.
04:12.46
LC Moon
Throws it off and then you become so aware that you’re reading a story as opposed to experiencing it. So that’s what I wanted to avoid.
04:13.60
jim_phoenix
Clunks it out. Yeah.
04:17.89
jim_phoenix
And I think you hit the realistically now I have to ask because I know what the book’s about I and I been for those, you don’t know I do read once in a while every once a while I do read review This is the thing I didn’t review your best like my staff member like they reviewed it.
04:30.70
LC Moon
Not my book though not yet.
04:37.69
jim_phoenix
But I said I would read it and I started reading I’m like okay my question was how old were you when you had this story in your head story is like oh okay, so your bedtime story in your head.
04:44.15
LC Moon
Right? Um I would say like early teens I yeah.
04:53.40
LC Moon
Um, yeah, yeah, but that I was older when I told her about like I started like the main like the characters are dynamic that started very.
04:54.26
jim_phoenix
And you’re you told your friends this but this particular story that I’m starting to read just.
05:02.72
jim_phoenix
It stopped it then okay got it that makes I was like my gosh like you’re more open than I was when I was like teenagers I guess.
05:08.99
LC Moon
Wonder no no, no, no, no that wast around like 2013 whatever it was like before I released it the first time. Yeah, yeah, time to and on.
05:15.74
jim_phoenix
So it really took time to grow and grow and grow and grow and you had the whole thing you had the whole thing joling from start to beginning or wait that is the same start and beginning is the same thing Joe Jim every right.
05:28.10
LC Moon
Not not. You know, not every scene explicitly but their journey that the key scenes the key aspect of their journey together. Yeah that I definitely knew like going and where where all that was gonna lead.
05:34.40
jim_phoenix
Right.
05:40.39
jim_phoenix
And you had this as a single books I know this is part one I’m guessing it’s gonna be part 2 and part three part z 3 okay, 3 and done just like star wars should have been 3 and done.
05:47.52
LC Moon
3 tell it? Yeah I well I mean I’m the generation of like the the second one like the second so I actually enjoyed I enjoy I answer.
06:02.11
jim_phoenix
That was is I was censoring my thought although you’re right should censor your jar jar biks with the like apartment was good in it now give me the important and I got to see yo to jump around everything else is kind of like it’s okay.
06:08.82
LC Moon
And and not Natalie Fordman I love naalie
06:21.30
jim_phoenix
It’s okay, we all have one. So if you had the entire did you, you have the trilogy planned out as a kid or do you said the first part as a kid. Okay.
06:28.13
LC Moon
Who know it was really the first part and it was actually at first it was meant to be just that and it was discussing with my very close group of beta readers friends trusted companions in this journey that oh look no no no no this there’s more to the story lynne. Just.
06:40.73
jim_phoenix
Right.
06:47.86
LC Moon
Go back at arriving board figure it out. There’s no way it ends there and at first I was kind ofnoing that Well, it’s my story. This is how it ends and the more I thought about it the more the story continued to reveal it to me and there is still some aspect. That’s why I took so long. There was some aspect that I still didn’t even know and then later on the more I.
06:56.37
jim_phoenix
Oh Wow right.
07:06.86
LC Moon
Delved into their universe and I was like oh yeah, oh yeah, sometimes I made connection that I didn’t even make and I made them later on I was like oh that’s why this because it makes sense. You know so on some level I feel like it was always a hole and it just picked up little tools at a time you know.
07:20.83
jim_phoenix
I like that because I like that you took the beta readers seriously because some people say again writing what was it like Chris Titus and Tony Horton talking about this like it’s ego is so weird because we’re both fergos I’ll go spoil or on this one. So for for me.
07:35.39
LC Moon
But.
07:40.83
jim_phoenix
I’ve been maybe accused of having a big ego same time very fragile one it like the biggest biggest ego in the world like I can do everything I’m very like somehow fragile the same time exactly I empower and know I know. However I know exactly? ah and I think.
07:45.20
LC Moon
It’s the edges.
07:52.43
LC Moon
Sucking Rigo of you.
07:58.69
jim_phoenix
Being able to take that advice from the Beta readers. But there’s a temptation to going like my books go f yourselves.
08:03.80
LC Moon
Of course and even like when I’m sending them chapter to chapter and every time there was a common my heart would sink and I agree with you know, like how she just doesn’t understand the Genius Yeah, you know and then you have to take a reality check and like you know what? I.
08:17.15
jim_phoenix
Ah, yes.
08:21.61
LC Moon
The way I deal with my E because I have a very fragile ego I have imposster syndrome I did not study creative writing I I didn’t do the official you know, like the way you’re supposed to do it I Just did my own thing and in the end I Understood how much my be readers cared about this story and the point is to make this.
08:28.80
jim_phoenix
Right.
08:40.66
jim_phoenix
Yeah.
08:40.91
LC Moon
Tory as good as possible and to take the backseat to the story. It’s not my chance to shine. It’s the story’s chance that right? so.
08:47.44
jim_phoenix
Stories chance very good I appreciate that and I think that’s something that a lot of younger writers especially are newer writers have to learn that hardway taking criticism. That’s one of the things you said about your background like I didn’t go to creative I did and that’s part of the things that you see is. Being able to take a punch you you have to be able to go I had a scene in my head at 1 It. It just fell flat and I make it better. Okay I got this advice now I can make this better and so yeah.
09:08.77
LC Moon
Yeah, what’s of course it’s crushing.. That’s you you doubt yourself and then you know so but like I said because I just kept focusing on the story itself and as long as. I would see it as okay I can do better. Not I did wrong I can do better I can bring it close are supposed to be so you know my better has faked me that I can do better. She’s not telling me, you’re not good. She’s telling me do it, Do it Justice Do It Better. So It’s a vote of confidence if you look at it like that right.
09:28.90
jim_phoenix
There you go.
09:40.33
jim_phoenix
Absolutely And and that’s the thing is anyone who’s taken enough time to read through. Everyone’s stuff and give them feedback. They’re invested in you. They’re invested in you. They’re invested in the story already. So their feedback’s just not to be mean is to make things better and I and appreciate it and it comes through on your book which is fairy tales.
09:48.81
LC Moon
Oh I think we’re having some technical issues.
09:59.44
jim_phoenix
By the way this is oh we are coming back and we are back live on air. This is how we do things live so when your book use your book out.
09:59.85
LC Moon
Didnt I want to you follow for a few seconds. Sorry.
10:14.59
jim_phoenix
I Know we got an arc I know it was out at beginning and it stopped and then it’s coming out soon again.
10:18.93
LC Moon
Yeah, so what happened is I wrote the book initially in 2014 and it’s an interesting project is how it happens is my sister is a composer and I didn’t tell her anything I just sent her the you know the chapters I was writing them just were for her.
10:26.58
jim_phoenix
Um, okay.
10:34.88
jim_phoenix
Right.
10:38.65
LC Moon
Feedback and she felt really inspired by the story that she composed in an instrumental soundtrack for it without telling me anything and I kind of recognize it like I was listening to this to the musical piece and I was like lana is that like Laura and Kane song is that this is that that proper and she’re like yes you know my god I can believe like you know.
10:57.28
jim_phoenix
Um, oh wow.
10:57.93
LC Moon
I did a good job if I can you know if you were able to guess at it’s their music then I did it correctly and it became a very collaborative creative process. She would give me feedback on my writing and I would give her feedback on her result like yeah, that’s not King that’s too aggressive. That’s to this. That’s that you know and her husband may he rest in peace.
11:05.64
jim_phoenix
Um, it’s cool.
11:16.59
LC Moon
Really wanted to he. He saw the opportunity and he wanted to see this and he was a businessman so he wanted to take over publishing and the you know the the Cd and everything at the time we were selling Cds in 24 team yeah
11:17.99
jim_phoenix
Um, right.
11:27.12
jim_phoenix
Um, Wow I remember those times right.
11:31.15
LC Moon
And unfortunately he passed away. It was a very tragic thing that happened in my family and I was going through very difficult struggles at the time on a personal level which I will spare you the joys of being a vergo under life is crashing down but I stepped away from writing altogether I sucked away. We took the book off the shels. I was crushed I was not say to be able to write and it was honestly like very serendipitous in 2022. It was actually my publicist who reached out to me and he like like there’s a very There’s a very real opportunity I think you need to work on this right now to really said and after what almost.
11:52.44
jim_phoenix
Um, right.
12:09.48
LC Moon
8 years of not touching anything I decided to you know what? let me let me go go read it again and you know maybe just like make sure you’ll clean it up and as I went back to just clean it up I realized you know what I’ve evolved a lot in those past 8 to 10 years
12:16.35
jim_phoenix
Right.
12:27.89
LC Moon
I think I can do the story Even do you know? do it more justice even write better.
12:30.13
jim_phoenix
But did you I mean what major events could have happened in the last couple years that would make people introspective and go oh my gosh. Oh my gosh and my gosh.
12:41.73
LC Moon
Ominously I was really amazingly and pleasantly surprised by the number of readers that stayed like loyal and followed and yeah, that was honestly as an author. It was the biggest compliment I Honestly I was like cannot even offer one person.
12:50.41
jim_phoenix
Um, really, that’s good.
12:59.40
LC Moon
Read it I’ll be happy. You know like if 1 person appreciates it I would have done my dot on it for me anyways and the response I’ve been getting has been so amazing from my 2014 readers and honestly I’m just gathering new readers. A lot of people don’t know about the background and it doesn’t matter. You don’t need to you know the story is its own.
13:13.50
jim_phoenix
Right.
13:18.60
LC Moon
Universe you know, regardless of its past. So yeah, it’s been.
13:22.99
jim_phoenix
Well, that’s one of the things I really like what I see and I love the journey of it I love the information ah end of it and when we’re talking about writing and writing processes. You talked about this going out first and then it kind of went off the shelf and it came back right.
13:32.61
LC Moon
Um, yeah.
13:40.76
LC Moon
Um, yeah.
13:40.95
jim_phoenix
So as we’re doing this series for authors and young aspiring writers. What advice would you give aspiring writers. Well you know young is always come on but you you you sp I.
13:47.33
LC Moon
Um, young thing. Um and ah but dog. Um.
14:00.16
jim_phoenix
Yeah, with me I guess.
14:01.52
LC Moon
My advice I would say stay true to your passion stay as long as you’re excited by what you write and you generally feel it Obviously you know have keep your ego in check when there’s a good criticism on how to take it. But.
14:03.41
jim_phoenix
Right.
14:13.66
jim_phoenix
Yes.
14:16.27
LC Moon
And sometimes I was feeling a lot of pressures to fit into a certain mold, especially that my book is considered dark romance Dark Erotica There are specific tropes that the readers expect and I’ve had a lot of readers. Lash out completely because I did my own thing and really like very you know they were very you can see and the reviews are very upset I’m like why would she do that. That’s a horrible way to you know, end things or whatever. There’s a bit of a twist ending a bit of a cliffhanger. So And. I had to accept that price to pay I accept that it’s not for everyone and it’s okay, but my reader the people its meant for will appreciate. It.
14:51.86
jim_phoenix
Yes I think that’s exactly it. Yeah, so many people try to write for everyone like we want to please all people at all times for gogan and it’s just you can’t you.
15:03.99
LC Moon
Um, yeah, yeah.
15:08.68
jim_phoenix
You’re in a mix. Especially now I’m gonna make someone mad. So my mean the most benign joke. But like oh we can’t say that anymore but we can’t I just said it So some somebody laughed now I I’m glad you said? there’s a twist ending now if ah out Spoilers Vo spoilers who does Kylo Ren kill on this one.
15:09.95
LC Moon
Exactly.
15:22.50
LC Moon
Um, yes, so I believe it’s his twin daughters.
15:28.30
jim_phoenix
Ah, that’s my worst one. Oh Kylo Quint Kyle re kills first papa and then the to one daughter. Oh my gosh, the guy it. Yeah, that’s item item daughter.
15:35.18
LC Moon
But Kylo ran is the guy or the girl in the new one. Okay, yeah, that’s the Adam dude right? He’s cool I liked his portrayal to be honest, he wasn’t bad I was I’m not good.
15:48.38
jim_phoenix
I Actually kind of see him in your book by the way.
15:53.49
LC Moon
A lot I did not expect to Cover Star wars.
15:54.96
jim_phoenix
Talking about star wars and those stars but but if you’re casting your book. Don’t you see? don’t you see Adam driver in your book.
15:58.96
LC Moon
Yes, no I that’s so funny you say that me and my sister actually sat down and did a full casting of the characters who okay so Kane I imagine a mix of like.
16:07.90
jim_phoenix
Who cast that cast that cast that cast it.
16:17.55
LC Moon
Ben Barnes and Henry Caville Laura I imagine like a young Kate Moss Natalie Portman that style thatsy so I’m not going to give away that the the others my view.
16:18.24
jim_phoenix
Oh yes.
16:25.73
jim_phoenix
Um, oh so know who’s talking about Star Wars now. Ah, ah.
16:31.79
jim_phoenix
No I know nothing but I can see that I can see that now maybe because I have Adam Drower tapless in my mind. Maybe that’s what I’m saying for.
16:35.99
LC Moon
But.
16:40.24
LC Moon
But and mixed with Henry is so much harder.
16:45.52
jim_phoenix
No sport. No no sps no judgment. No judgment. It’s all good and plus he’s not doing a superman anymore. Do So he’s he’s free. He’s free. Oh my gosh. Thank well Irish Actually we played wither. So.
16:50.43
LC Moon
There you go. He’s freak I see is he gonna watch hunted man youal. But maybe we should send it this p.
17:04.72
jim_phoenix
Or you’re doing this is there pressure then for the sequel like the sophomore Blues is an album right.
17:08.50
LC Moon
Oh of course of there’s a huge pressure and I’ve been told as any author your second book is the hardest one to write and it’s not just my second book as a second one of the trilogy which I that is the set the hardest one to write.
17:20.93
jim_phoenix
Yes, right.
17:26.45
LC Moon
Ah, so yeah, it’s very difficult because I’m not starting from a clean slate I have to take all the elements from volume 1 and take them into volume 2 and still make being true to the past and merdo like so it’s a very you’re very limited in your creative. You know, ah like. Creative process. But at the same time you still want it to be its own thing. You don’t want to replicate too much but you want to be to the essence. So it’s it’s very difficult but I am enjoying and that’s the 1 thing I’m really trying to do is to enjoy the process.
17:46.54
jim_phoenix
Correct.
17:58.70
LC Moon
Because I know once and now I’m looking forward to publication to but then once it’s publisher like oh I missed the Dave and it was in my living room. No stress just writing rage right.
18:05.37
jim_phoenix
Just doing in children now and now it’s a deadline. It’s herp and white that that’s book for vocation. Yeah.
18:12.60
LC Moon
So now I Just want to enjoy it and I’m you know I’m behind the curtains I’m doing my own thing. My readers are I’ve been amazing with me patient understanding. They’re there. They’re loyal I’m super plussed I’m very thankful to the people that I’ve had around me I think as an artist as anybody unless you just need to have a good. Support around you and it’s family or friends because the highs are high and and middle those are lows right? like it’s your Baby. You’re putting out there. It’s your heart and soul and as evolved as you want to be criticism is it’s Hard. You know so.
18:33.58
jim_phoenix
Yes, yeah.
18:46.78
jim_phoenix
Miss How it’s It’s one of those things that that they can’t teach you how to deal with unless you just get like it’s basically pricking yourself again and again and again. Ah but eventually like oh I can take it now now for your can we give about the second title. Okay.
18:58.44
LC Moon
Yeah, yeah.
19:01.58
jim_phoenix
So the first one’s fairy tales from the underwear part one a bedtime story beauty mix base and the second one’s going. What.
19:08.29
LC Moon
So the second one is called ah the berry tale and is star crossed lovers and the third one is oh to the fallen down the rabbit hole and that will conclude. The trilogy.
19:12.99
jim_phoenix
Um, nice.
19:22.40
jim_phoenix
That is very very cool and where that means you either had a lot of dreams as ah as a little girl or.
19:27.70
LC Moon
Yeah, you I’ve always I’ve had the craziest streams my entire lifes crazy nightmares crazy adventures Usually more negative than positive I’ve haven had those like okay I had touch your rest still sleep like no.
19:37.79
jim_phoenix
Um I can go if.
19:43.32
LC Moon
I’ve always had crazy nightmares I’ve always had a very very you know like um I’ve been very yeah I have a crazy imagination I’m always as a kid I spend a lot of time alone all is lost in my world telling myself stories imagining stories I spend a lot of time reading watching movies. So. Story telling in its art. You know whether it’s via books or novellas or theater or movies or Broadway is just something that really resonates with me because I find it. It’s not only diverse.
20:02.49
jim_phoenix
Um, yeah.
20:15.41
jim_phoenix
Yes.
20:15.98
LC Moon
But it helps it helped that there’s there’s lesson. There’s wisdom. There’s you know there’s things you can take from that. So.
20:20.40
jim_phoenix
I agree and I think that is a part where people want to do a movie or they want to do a book or they want to do a story and they haven’t read I’m like or watched like how do you tell a story if you doesn’t seen how to do it like I’m so glad you said you read a lot especially as a kid and watch all these movies. It helps get the structure of a story you start learning the rhythms you start learning the actual structures you’re putting it in and it works in that it sounds weird but that is actually part of the work.
20:41.93
LC Moon
Of course.
20:48.93
LC Moon
Of course of course and you know just so you get that it becomes second natureture to you so even like and like I’m sure it’s the same thing for you Jim but like 90% of the movies I watch I can tell you within 5 minutes exactly what’s going to happen right? So when you watch a movie that.
21:01.58
jim_phoenix
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
21:06.97
LC Moon
Can surprise you with such a like Wow moment and that’s why you want to be comfortable I did and I wanted to be comfortable in the narrative that so I have that structure from everything that has built me up that has helped create me as an author.
21:19.55
jim_phoenix
Um, yes.
21:25.43
LC Moon
But at the same time I wanted to do my own take on it I Want to put my little spice. You know.
21:31.30
jim_phoenix
That’s very very important and you’re doing this right now on fairy tales from the underworld.com right COMDotCom awesome
21:38.32
LC Moon
That’s exactly yeah, fairing from genderworld.com yeah and there’s the original soundtrack that’s available there as well. So I really hope but you guys will check it out it.
21:43.90
jim_phoenix
I checked out the site. It’s amazing. We were looking at this before and the instagrams and then othergrams and the telegrams and not buttergrams. It’s it’s all, but so but that’s the thing there’s so much more to do but before this call I was doing like I was doing Facebook um.
21:49.48
LC Moon
Um, and the tick power The face were broken.
22:02.91
jim_phoenix
Back on Facebook now whatever. But ah gosh there’s so much more to producing your book in 2023 and and pushing your book new 2023 there was ah 2013
22:03.20
LC Moon
I Left a few.
22:15.50
LC Moon
Absolutely ah hi personally I’m very lucky I have an amazing team around me I have my publish it I have my marketing team so they can focus on the that.
22:17.41
jim_phoenix
So how do you deal with that. How do you deal with the business side and the creative side.
22:29.31
LC Moon
Part of it and I can focus more on actually the creative process and you know interviews like that I mean this is amazing I love doing that again. Thank you so much for having me Jim and ah so that’s part of that to me is fun. You know I’m getting to you’re getting to know me, we’re having a normal conversation.
22:30.75
jim_phoenix
Um, that yeah.
22:38.18
jim_phoenix
Thanks for being here.
22:46.44
LC Moon
But being in charge of social media and stuff I’m letting other people handle that that they’re better at it Anyways, it’s more their their thing you know I’m not a great salesperson I don’t like the feeling of you know.
22:50.48
jim_phoenix
Yes.
22:55.88
jim_phoenix
You haven’t sold me on Casco Poine yet when you do that You be us the great whole.
22:59.19
LC Moon
Ah baby so itself. Let me tell you that Yeah, you’re gonna go there. You’re gonna take a picture as say where have you been all my life and you gonna post it on Huntologyji Ah I’ll be looking out for that post. Let me tell you.
23:08.32
jim_phoenix
But like it’s a grammy. Yeah yeah, we’ll see what happens when they do good stuff though. Yeah, but if you’re running at spot now I was gonna do a sped mon. So.
23:15.82
LC Moon
Osco did not sponsor So this Fy I This is.
23:24.90
jim_phoenix
I appreciate all of this time and I do have 1 less 1 final questions before you we let you go on the next book of the first one of course is called fairy tales from the underworld part one a bedtime story beauty meets the bees which can get right now correct or soon.
23:31.51
LC Moon
Um, we go.
23:41.17
LC Moon
Just.
23:42.81
jim_phoenix
At Fairy Tales from the underworld.com check out out. Book market. Always come back to it. Follow everyone like like sit got click subscribe and go I Do like you said you had up a street team as I just like balance. Everyone’s mic off because you can’t do this alone you this is a. Creative Arts You cannot do alone like I want to be the writer in the I have a tower that’s nice, but no, one’s going to read them. You have to have a team So what goes in to a good team for you.
24:10.43
LC Moon
First of all, you need to be a trust trust you need to be able to trust each other to know that you have each other’s best interest that hard and thought I wouldn’t just hire a stranger to do that. Even and if they’re an expert I don’t have the budget for that anyway. So somebody trusts somebody who who national who believes in the project.
24:13.24
jim_phoenix
Yes.
24:22.85
jim_phoenix
Um, try.
24:30.30
LC Moon
If it’s just your fan and she’s good at it. But she’s doing it to you as a favor. There’s only that much that somebody can do as a favor so you have there has to be something in it for them and they have to believe in the project and they have to have the skill the work ethics.
24:37.69
jim_phoenix
Um, yeah.
24:46.58
LC Moon
And you have to have that relationship where you can generally be yourself and give each other that criticism without always having to wear. You know those 5 pairs of white gloves and you know so I think that’s really the the yeah that’s the most important for me. That’s what’s been been able to.
24:56.14
jim_phoenix
Um, yeah.
25:03.44
LC Moon
Keep the project going and sometimes you know we have it down one one person is a bit more demoralized. So the others will be no, it’s good na na Nasa we can keep it exactly we can you know pun beach other and everything so it’s it’s a friendship too. It’s not just.
25:09.40
jim_phoenix
But yep, yeah.
25:16.60
LC Moon
Ah, marketing team. You know you have to be a team in real life and I think that especially as aspiring you know, authors that you don’t have unlimited budget and resources.
25:23.87
jim_phoenix
No I appreciate that I still remember like the we started as a punk scene publisher and it’s like punks like Amelia G and Forret Black and like blue blood and they would start out blacklow times the whole.
25:39.79
LC Moon
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
25:40.28
jim_phoenix
Actual streak teams they would go out and put flyers out and there’s just like a couple people will find Xerox machine and that’s all it was back then day and now is kind of like the digital version of this but you had to trust each other otherwise you know there’s the dumps are right there like the Mitch Harber joke like 5000 houses or one dumpster.
25:52.39
LC Moon
Yeah I Well I mean that’s where where I say they have they have to have something in it for them. So you know like we have an actual business agreement in place they are gonna collect on the success of the book. So they’re in their best interest for the boat book to succeed and it does I’m like Yay you know the aut is.
25:59.19
jim_phoenix
Um, yes, yes, yes.
26:09.94
jim_phoenix
Um, yeah.
26:12.26
LC Moon
Happy. So obviously human nature we’re selfish by nature. You know we can. We can try to be as nice as possible but we there are some facts about human nature that can just disregard and you should work with it which is part of my book human nature now Always not. Everyone is nice and you know there’s.
26:26.35
jim_phoenix
No, and think that goes way and it goes brilliant I think that is part of it right there with the fairy tales from our little part 1 bedtime story now if you were to give 1 piece of advice to either your younger self as a writer or just.
26:30.83
LC Moon
Like.
26:45.20
jim_phoenix
Writers in general 1 thing one takeaway of you learn that you think everyone should absolutely do but would it be just yourself boom awesome sauce I agree I agree Alie Moon has been a poller.
26:50.64
LC Moon
Trust yourself.
26:56.80
LC Moon
Now that I do it. That’s what tell but young self you not accomplished that device thats yet. But and you want now. No no. But I mean it’s an ongoing struggle and I guess just know that you’re not alone feeling.
27:01.83
jim_phoenix
Yeah, no, its like it’s just flo every day you should. But you know there’s two days
27:16.63
LC Moon
That imposter syndrome that you know everyone is going through those doubts and I find a lot of time to feel so alone I’m the murder I’m that you know oh who is me and no, we’re all struggling. You’re not alone. You’re not crazy. Do your best and it’s enough right.
27:19.62
jim_phoenix
Yeah.
27:29.33
jim_phoenix
Forget the rest absolutely well Elsie Moon I appreciate it and if you want to check out Elsie Moon’s work. Go to fairy tales plural from the underworld dot com and also check out. Part one a bedtime story beauty meets beats and then get the soundtrack. Get it all in. Go all in make us you deserved eating like this go all in play a soundtrack read it get a bubble baff. It’s all goodness. Aliceie moon. Thank you so much everythinging bye. Everyone.
27:56.95
LC Moon
Thank you so much. It was Julie pleasure being here bye.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
- 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.
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]](https://hauntedmtl.com/wp-content/plugins/aawp/public/image.php?url=YUhSMGNITTZMeTl0TG0xbFpHbGhMV0Z0WVhwdmJpNWpiMjB2YVcxaFoyVnpMMGt2T1RGUWVsZFROSEZ5V0V3dVgxTk1NVFV3TUY4dVgxTk1NVFl3WHk1cWNHYz18MTc0MzYxODM3NQ=)
- 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
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.
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
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 / 5)
