"OUT OF THE BUNKER!!" [4.29.07]

[flautapantera]

www.lonelygirl15.com/?p=239&play=1

(milo adds YT link from 5/3/07: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LuW5T_vRws)

Summary
So we decided to be proactive and get out of this BORING bunker. We've been driving NON-STOP for the last two days. Thanks for sticking with us these past couple of weeks. Things have been really complicated since Alex betrayed us and we were just trying to regroup. - Bree Faction: THE RESISTANCE Status: PUBLIC VIDEO

- - - - - - - - - -

Recap
After the happenings as of late, it's apparent that Bree's "Thanks for sticking with us these past couple of weeks" is more indicative of Creator-speech...

(Milo edited to add link)

[oweniscool]

Well, for any nonbelievers left out there, Bree is
1) meeting with Taylor
2) and planning to save Jules
I hope I don't have to hear anyone say "but their videos aren't on the canon column yet, therefore they are still not canon". They'd be in denial.

I hope it doesn't work. I really hope that when Bree meets Jules the exchange goes like so

Bree: Jules, I was picked to do the ceremony, but I didn't. They should tell you what it is. They killed my dad. You're adopted. Don't do the ceremony. It's all lies. They kidnapped us, and drugged us. Daniel twice! Run away!
Jules: wtf, girl? I'm gunna do it. Why shouldn't I?
Bree: Because...
Jules: If you don't know what it is... then how do you know I shouldn't do it?
Jules runs off, does ceremony, and is never seen or heard of again.

[hookedonmonics]

oweniscool said:

Well, for any nonbelievers left out there, Bree is
1) meeting with Taylor
2) and planning to save Jules

I hope it doesn't work. I really hope that when Bree meets Jules the exchange goes like so

Bree: Jules, I was picked to do the ceremony, but I didn't. They should tell you what it is. They killed my dad. You're adopted. Don't do the ceremony. It's all lies. They kidnapped us, and drugged us. Daniel twice! Run away!
Jules: wtf, girl? I'm gunna do it. Why shouldn't I?
Bree: Because...
Jules: If you don't know what it is... then how do you know I shouldn't do it?
Jules runs off, does ceremony, and is never seen or heard of again.

amen, sistah. And thankfully, I am down with P.

oh, and nice shopping cart montage.

[hyemew]

OK, I had joked that they'd actually go all the way to Texas to meet Jules, and now they actually are.
It's disturbing that this means Jules really is being integrated into the storyline and therefore the Creators really are responsible for that Jules-trash. I was hoping they had subcontracted her (it's still possible) and someone else wrote her horrible scripts.

oweniscool said:

Jules runs off, does ceremony, and is never seen or heard of again.

Oh PLEASE oh PLEASE!
You know Creators, we aren't supposed to WANT her to be sacrificed to the Order, but in Jules's case I'm definitely rooting for them.

[oweniscool]

Miles apologized for infuriating everyone. He posted in this thread.

Hey everyone,

Although it makes me sad to read such harsh comments, I agree that there's been a lull lately. I'm 100% confident that we have the ability to create a compelling show even though we may not always fire on all six cylinders. Anyway, we hear you loud and clear and we're doing the best we can.

Whether you believe it or not, we are very overextended. Gone are the days when Mesh and I could write/direct/edit every video. Now we're going to meetings, dealing with payroll, building a website, flying to conferences, doing interviews, negotiating deals, and all while trying to produce an entertaining show. Add to that the fact that no one knows how this medium works... and well, you know. Interestingly, a lot of our problems are "process" issues surrounding how we maintain quality when many people are contributing rather than just a couple.

I can say this. We are fixing the problems. The plot will become more interesting. Most importantly, we care massively about this show, the characters and plot, and all of you, and we aren't abandoning you or giving up. On the contrary, because of KateModern and a couple other deals we have been working really hard to finalize we will be able to hire a bigger team. Then we will be able to produce great videos, lots of interactivity, compelling puzzles, and pull off a great show here.

On a personal note, I'm really bummed about the last couple weeks of videos. Our initial plan was really ambitious, probably too ambitious. It involved a lot of videos, interactivity, and puzzles. We had an actor drop out at the last minute and a series of technical snafus. We had to do a ton of last second re-writes and re-edits. That in a addition to a couple other problems destroyed what was supposed to be a very entertaining and interactive couple weeks. Oh well, we learn and move forward.

Anyways, just want you to know that I care. Probably too much. Hope you enjoy where we go with things. Thanks!

Miles

I think this sounds like exactly what they said yesterday, in more words. I hope the actor that dropped out was Julesgirl. Roll with it, k?

hookedonmonics said:

And thankfully, I am down with P.

Well then you're down with me. Did ya watch the music video? Some reversed audio from that song was used for the first Oppy vid.

[jayhenry]

oweniscool said:

I think this sounds like exactly what they said yesterday, in more words. I hope the actor that dropped out was Julesgirl. Roll with it, k?

I think this sounds like exactly what they've been saying since September. It'd be fun to get a side-by-side comparison of these moments of contrition.

[oweniscool]

I wanted to resist the temptation to tear apart that last Creators post, but it's late, and I'm bored from studying. Sorry, Miles.

Gone are the days when Mesh and I could write/direct/edit every video. Now we're going to meetings, dealing with payroll, building a website, flying to conferences, doing interviews, negotiating deals, and all while trying to produce an entertaining show.

Well, um maybe a little bit less conferences and a little bit less BS'ing on Mixed Media would free up some time to sit down and write a story, then you can get your team of writers to string together the videos.

Add to that the fact that no one knows how this medium works... and well, you know.

Michael Eisner knows how it works. It's called Prom Queen. zing! ouch!

Interestingly, a lot of our problems are "process" issues surrounding how we maintain quality when many people are contributing rather than just a couple.

It's called bad management and many fledgling companies suffer from it. It's also the top reason why start-ups fail. Not that the market "wasn't ready", not that "no one understands the medium", not that "we ran into some roadblocks"... those things just test management and, well, the c's are weak in that department.

I can say this. We are fixing the problems.

Liar, liar...

The plot will become more interesting.

... pants on fire...

On the contrary, because of KateModern and a couple other deals we have been working really hard to finalize we will be able to hire a bigger team. Then we will be able to produce great videos, lots of interactivity, compelling puzzles, and pull off a great show here.

Um, in the last paragraph you were talking about these "process issues" you have now that you have "many people contributing"... and you're saying with a bigger team things will get better. I hope you're hiring a webmaster, a process manager, and a professional writer to tie the loose ends together for you, because you haven't.

On a personal note, I'm really bummed about the last couple weeks of videos.

Lol, you should see the forum.

Our initial plan was really ambitious, probably too ambitious. It involved a lot of videos, interactivity, and puzzles.

Where, oh where have I heard that before? As Temp once said, "oh STFU already".

Oh well, we learn and move forward.

I haven't seen much proof that they're learning anything. Nothing has changed in months.

Anyways, just want you to know that I care. Probably too much. Hope you enjoy where we go with things. Thanks!
Miles

I care, too. I used to slave away at your wiki and support your work. I don't take sadistic pleasure in criticizing the c's, but seriously these things have to be said. The forum reacted sooo well to this last post, why? It's the same as the last. I feel like going back and posting them side by side.

[elixir]

Couldn't have said it any better OIC! As I was reading it, I was thinking, okay they've just said things are so much harder now with so may people working on the project instead of just a couple, and now they are assuring us that things will get better by the addition of ---------- more people!!!! WTF??!!

As for them apparently having an actor pull out, and therefore losing their 'puzzle and interactivity' story line, I would suggest that they pull their socks up and get a decent plan B, so that if this does happen again they are prepared. I don't see why they couldn't get another actor.... like there are no out of work actors in California...

"Interestingly, a lot of our problems are "process" issues surrounding how we maintain quality when many people are contributing rather than just a couple."

As for "Process issues"..... hmmmm more like talent issues. Oh that was bitchy, wasn't it?!

But seriously - they have some talented actors working with them, Mesh seems to be talented at writing, but it takes real talent to pull it all together. To tell a story. And sadly I just don't think they have it.

I used to think they did many moons ago, but it really is sad that this has gone so pear-shaped. This 'out of the bunker' episode was better than a lot of recent ones, but I fear that it has jumped the shark so much that anything they do is going to be too little too late... and I really don't want to have this opinion, but I don't know if they can ever do anything to make me enjoy LG as much as I did before they ruined it.

[hookedonmonics]

oweniscool said:

hookedonmonics said:

And thankfully, I am down with P.

Well then you're down with me. Did ya watch the music video? Some reversed audio from that song was used for the first Oppy vid.

No, but we have it on cd. My husband had a brief obsession with it.

[milowent]

what a depressing thread this is, huh? that last post from Miles, i wept. i do believe they are running into problems, but the continual promises that things are going to get better would require blind faith to believe.

---

OK, the video itself. i suspect this video is one of those that was shuffled around a bit because of this supposed actor dropping out of the show and what have you snafus we are supposed to believe occurred. note that the title and description of the video says they have left the bunker, but bree says nothing about it in the video. you would think they would discuss leaving their most recent home. And what a flimsy reason to leave - to visit some 15-year old in Texas that had a soccer game once against Jules? What if Taylor made it up to become canon? Are they going to visit Aaronbeast next? Does Jonas ever consider that all three are living off of his assets, which apparently the all-knowing Order is powerless to freeze?

pass the salmon-jerky please.

[trash180]

Hell, it's an event just getting the three main characters together these days.

Well, I'm hoping that Jules does do the ceremony...but not before the kids get down there to film it. We have to find out what the ceremony is about eventually.
They're not hoping to save all the important revelations for KateMod, are they? Haven't we been strung along for far too long already? I feel like a jackass chasing some shiny carrot while they get their business in order.

HOPEFULLY, the c's have learned to not let biz get in the way of the story anymore. LG better have some sort of satisfying ending or Katemodern is going nowhere.

Maybe Jules Post-ceremony will be a kickass arch nemesis for Bree and they'll have to fight to the death with the fates of girls everywhere hanging in the balance...or som'n. Hell a good ol' fight to the death may be just what we need around here.

[oweniscool]

When Lurker and LLP initiated their "walkout" the other day, I missed that forum poster Susan also said she would walk out. She posted this gem on the Danielbeast in-character section

I'll treasure the fun I've had watching you grow up. You've become a good man, a man of peace in a time of war. That is rarer than the finest saffron. Would that I could have found that quality in a man of my own.

The saffron part made me lol. She was also back in 12hrs.

[Joss]

I'm sorry but after seeing Madisson atkins last episode suddenly LG15 looks like.. Err.. Well.. Let me put it in a baby fashion: Poooo!!

It feels so pointless.. So vage.. So void.. The storytelling has gone so wrong.. The C's (Man.. I cant help laughing at that!) are so lost, so missing, so empty..

Just what the hell is all this LG15 thing about? I mean.. A few days ago we were discussing about the first episodes.. I just cant see how the latest episodes can have any connection to the first ones..

You know what? Seeing MA's last vid I thought "What a nice way to end a story and leaving a door open to begin a new one!"

The C's have opened hundreds of doors.. Have started to tell so many different stories.. And they seem unable to finish any of them at all.. They just cant see the right time to say THE END.. They have tried so many different ideas and discarded most of them on the fly that there is just no way to make sense of so many loose ends..

Well.. Maybe its time to shut down the show and go do something else different and totally new.. Isnt it?

[robtomorrow]

Joss,
Well said, talk about being upstaged! I was in the thread for the LG15 video last night, the discussion had turned to Maddy in context of her being in Texas, where the TAAG team were headed, then someone mentioned that Maddy was loading a new video, the LG15 thread all of a sudden went completely dead and when people came back all they could talk about was Maddy.

After all the negative comments and threatened walkouts Saturday, I'm sure the C's thought this was going to be their comeback. I even noticed the C's lurking at the time. Glenn apparently was lurking this morning. It made me wonder if it was timed to upstage the C's.

[curiousgeorge]

robtomorrow said:

Joss,
Glenn apparently was lurking this morning. It made me wonder if it was timed to upstage the C's.

Bingo! We have a winner here. My thoughts exactly Rob. What better "revenge" than to upstage a former employer at their own "game". Even with a limited budget and a short run, he showed them up at their own game. If the c's didn't still have Jess, well I think we all know where this thing would be now... Mesh's writing has all but disappeared in a mire of shoddy project management.

Another thought I had was that Glenn was doing Maddy Atkins (sorry, ) for a proof on concept for potential future investors, in hopes of securing funding for a larger project of his own. What better way than to casually riff of the c's and LG, yet still claim he produced a totally independent, (very well organized) vlog-based ARG. Good business acumen, and pretty shrewd if this is the case. Tinseltown is a rough crowd.

All is fair in love and tanktops...