General Chat

[Jack Malone]

Ugh. Peter choosing his Aunt May over Mary Jane was the dumbest thing Marvel has ever tried to do. That was just INSANE. Just... there's not enough words in the dictionary to describe just how stupid that move really was. Just...no.

[Jason T. Davis]

It's officially Independence Day here in the US and people on my block have completely lost their minds.

[Aimee Nicole]

So. Westboro Baptist Church is going to picket the memorial for the people who got shot in Colorado. There is a very, very special place in hell for people like them.

[MJ]

So last night I had my 21st birthday party which was Marvel vs. DC themed (so people had to come as their favourite Marvel or DC character) and here are some of the resulting photos

Props for guessing characters people are dressed up as XD

Edit: Put the photos under a spoiler tag because they were a few of them and they were quite big.

SPOILER: Click to show

[Jamison]

Batman!! MJ, your parties are epic! I had a great time and I wasn't even there. lmfao!!

[Jack Malone]

Yeah, MJ, where was our invite?! We both live in Australia. I could have totally dressed up as... I don't know... Alfred or something, ahaha. But no, those costumes are insane. I love The Spoiler (I think it is...?) costume.

[Jamison]

omg, I just noticed Bane in the first photo. Wicked cool. haha!

[Ms. Kerry]

I'm kinda super stinking excited currently. I missed rping soooo much and now I get to do it again! Role-playing is how I originally got into writing seriously and I feel a special connection to this rp that we are re-vamping. PS: Fun Fact it inspired the Outcasts! So I can bet Aimee will be getting inspiration for working on the new season. Don't worry Bad Wolf's production won't suffer in case anyone was worried, if anything this will get creative juices flowing.

[Aimee Nicole]

Aug 22, 2012 22:14:55 GMT -6 Ms. Kerry said:

I'm kinda super stinking excited currently. I missed rping soooo much and now I get to do it again! Role-playing is how I originally got into writing seriously and I feel a special connection to this rp that we are re-vamping. PS: Fun Fact it inspired the Outcasts! So I can bet Aimee will be getting inspiration for working on the new season. Don't worry Bad Wolf's production won't suffer in case anyone was worried, if anything this will get creative juices flowing.

Ye-yah. I'm so excited XD I'm trying to figure out how we wanna set up each "saga" right now then I'm gonna start making a list of possible storylines and start making my reserves for characters. It's been like two years since this guild has been active, omg.

[Aimee Nicole]

Guuuuys. I need some help. If your computer has an HD graphics card and HD sound card, but doesn't have a Blu-Ray disc player, if you download a Blu-Ray movie will you still be able to watch it on your computer? Or does a lack of a Blu-Ray disc reader mean your computer is incapable of watching Blu-Ray movies?

[Deleted]

I don't think it's necessary to have a blu ray reader in order to watch a blu ray movie, however I think you must have compatible software in order to do so. Like the right plug-ins for Quicktime or whatever software you use in order to watch movies.

[Carey]

Depends on the format of the file you downloaded, I suppose. My computer is awful yet plays downloaded video files in HD with few issues.

[Jamison]

I get out of school in just under three weeks, and these last few weeks have been the slowest of my entire life. It always happens this way, especially when I'm looking forward to something. There are about 3 more final projects that need to be turned in before the semester is over. One is a 15-20 page essay about a topic I don't even want to describe... it's not the best topic, but I could have gotten worse. My instructor makes us pick topics from a hat. She says she's trying to be hip... *rolls eyes*

Anyway, the other project is for my TV Writing/Production course, and is a 6-part webseries called "Kraigslist." It's basically the adventures of a young man who's life has been completely taken over by the Craigslist website. He uses it for absolutely everything, and it's becoming quite an issue. I've been assigned the penultimate episode, and while this particular series is not a serial, I have to set up a few things for the finale. The episodes focus is on Craig looking for a job and finding an ad for an extra camera man. However, he gets there and discovers they want him to shoot an adult film. I will say no more for risk of being shunned by you all.

The third and final project (probably gonna be the toughest) is for my Directing course, and we have to direct and run an live-broadcast sketch comedy show. Not gonna be easy. Fun, but definitely not easy. Something is bound to go wrong when I'm involved (just kidding. Don't hold that against me).

But all in all, this has been a fun year. I'm glad I decided to go back for more after graduating. However, I've decided I want to move back to California, indefinitely, so when I go there this summer, I plan on staying, taking off a semester-to a year of grad school, and just seeing how life in L.A. for a writer is. I still have a few months to change my mind and come running back to Chicago though. lol

I don't think I'll be interning anywhere this year. I was hoping to get the NBC gig again, but things just never work out the way you want. If that were so, I'd be working already. XD I do have a friend... (okay, we're acquaintances, but sometimes that's all you need to be) who works in the industry and might be able to be a reference or something. Worked well last year with the internship, could be of some use again. He even put me on the crew (mind you, I would have probably been bringing people coffee) of a pilot that never got a greenlight for shooting. Would have been cool though.

Sorry for this random update of my life. lol Just felt like writing.

[Jamison]

CNN reports --

Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson in the Fox hit "Glee," was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room Saturday, Vancouver police said. He was 31.
-----------

Such upsetting news. RIP.

[The Doctor]

So.....I'm going to be that guy.

I think, this series (Beacon Hallows) should be picked up. Not just because I have a vested interest in this series, but because, Matthew has put his heart, sweat, blood, and tears into remaking this series.


He took every old idea he had and made it into a series I barely recognize. I for one vote that it gets picked up. (Even though my vote probably wont matter)

Also,Not to rag on everyone else, but aside from WT, where is the love? I get this community fell apart years ago, but I hope and pray the rest of you (barring Jay and Darrin) actually give this pilot/series (and others) a chance.

I understand that the real world takes priority. I would never say that this is more important, my only issue is that I've seen some stuff that isnt okay here. Or at least, no one being around to actually be the site we once were. I'm sorry if this comes off harsh, but, it's the truth. It's a club where only certain people can enter and it's not fair for future writers who find this site and see nothing but Watchtower, Paradise Lost, and Dropouts are the only thing going. On top of that, the community doesnt feel here aswell.

I know this site is more than what it once was, and I hope that everyone who contributes to it, can find their love of writing again and be the talented people I know we can be.

Sorry guys, I didnt want to come out swinging and make it seem like I dislike you guys, I really dont. I just dislike the fact that it feels like a ghost town here and that no one gets love. You guys are the second family I always wanted. You accepted me when I had nothing. I've been around through the early stages of some of the most infamous eras of this site.

I know I have stuff I should share and stop being picky, however, it's not about me. It's about this site and what it could mean to a young writer who stumbles upon it. I just want the VPN back and not this thing where everyone only shows up for one series and then disappears again


So, yeah. If y'all disagree, please feel free to respond, or if you agree, please respond. I just want to know if I'm not just talking into the abyss here.

[Jack Malone]

Hey Karl, 

I don't understand the perception of this being an exclusive club that only certain people can enter. I'm not even sure who would fall under that category at this point, primarily because some of the people you are mentioning (including yourself) have been with the VPN for a long time and are certainly a part of this community. It's a shame that you and/or others are feeling that way, and I don't understand where it's coming from well enough to properly address it or even offer any solution for it. I think it's connected to a lack of engagement with everyone's projects and with the forum itself, and life outside of this virtual bubble taking precedence over what goes on here. 

What I can address is my own contributions. For me, I think it's a little unfair to characterise this forum as nobody else receiving love except for 'Watchtower.' The "love" is me making posts in the threads. I've posted nine episodes, and received one review (shout out to Alex). I hardly think that translates to this one project consuming the forum or taking up all the attention or engagement from members here. Regardless, I just wanted to say that the time I currently have for the forum has been to finish a project I started and time hasn't really warranted an opportunity for me to get super invested in much else outside of that right now. I understand that's not much "giving back" on my part, but it's definitely my reality at the moment. Also, it's entirely possible I'm misinterpreting that aspect of your post, so please correct me if I'm wrong.  

In terms of Matthew's project, I believe we were all waiting on a pilot to read? It appears it was posted yesterday - something I didn't see until I logged in today and scrolled past your post in "recent posts" to find. With all due respect, there are quite a few instances of shows being pitched and many engaging with those projects, only for a pilot to not be posted or for no updates to follow and so they go cold. 'Beacon Hallows' appears to be the first show pitched since 2019 and it was without a pilot until about 24 hours ago. I'm eager to give it a read based on the pitch - as I imagine so are those who commented on or liked the pitch - and offer a review. I don't think it was very fair to suggest that in order to fix all the issues with forum engagement, this show had to be immediately picked up. I think maybe as a task to inspire some more forum engagement, we should all give this pilot a read and offer our thoughts and reviews on the pilot and start that discussion - which is something you could do, too. 

At a time where there isn't much activity on the forum, it's more likely than not that any project with a pilot and a clear passion to post episodes will be "picked up," so I don't think it's fair to Matt or anyone else to bypass that process and deny him responses to the pilot. I also think in these early stages is the best time to accumulate that engagement and excitement about a project, rather than to add another thing to the front page for episodes to be posted with no one contributing to it but the showrunner, so I don't support rushing that process.  

Lastly, you mentioned seeing some things on the forum that weren't okay, and other projects you feel weren't given a chance. If you feel more comfortable talking about that in private, feel free to PM me or I'm happy to respond here. Nothing has been brought to my attention prior to this post, so I haven't been able to offer any help on whatever's troubling you or anyone else but I'm all ears here or privately.  

All the best, 
Jack. 

[Matthew James]

I for one understand where Karl is coming from in some aspects. I think what is happening here is just years of silence that has reached a boiling point. Look at the last post before Karl's. It was a 2013 post about the death of a legend.

I think what was maybe misunderstood with Karl's message was that Watchtower is the only thing that has any reviews on it (most of which are by Karl and Alex). Like Jack said that's just from no other shows (except Dropouts, shoutout!) being active. Kudos to Jack though for starting a project and seeing it all the way through. I'm proud of him for it, even after all the Allison stuff, it would have been totally understandable and expected of him to end the series. (it probably would have in real life) But he had passion and wanted to see his story through and there in lies the problem (that I am part of with Winchester).

We have six greenlit shows that never even got as far as producing a pilot. I did also dig into the Hiatus Zone for this number (which is largely why I made sure to have the first season of BH written, I didn't want it to be just another idea that didn't come to anything). Karl, Jay, Darrin and I did actually come up with a solve for this issue. We think, having the first half of a season done is needed before a show can be greenlit. If you want commitment, show commitment. It's easy to come up with a good pitch and pilot, it's hard to come up with a fully fleshed out season, and I think that some of us who have had shows greenlit in the past can attest to that.

We need to all try harder to be more active. Get more reviews out, support each other, be more involved and get projects done. We are a family here at VPN, and like any real family, we don't always get to stay in touch as much as we like (or even occasionally get along). I think that some of us were hoping that when the world went into Lockdown, we'd see more activity on the VPN, but when that didn't end up happening it made us realize that we can't just hope things improve with time. We have to put in the effort, I for one can't believe I never reviewed Super Teens despite the fact that I read every episode, and I for one take a vow to try and just be a bigger part of the community and make sure that everyone feels the sense of home that I have always felt here on the VPN. 

So with famous last words; 

"Let's go to work".

[Brady Brown]

Hey all,

Thank you for your candor and openness about your thoughts on the current state of the forum. It is an obvious fact that the VPN is not as active or involved as it was many years ago, and I think that is due to a multitude of factors in many folks personal lives that don't necessarily need to be shared in the space. That being said, I do want to dive a little bit deeper into some of the concerns that have been expressed in this thread so far.

Beacon Hallows. I truly love that we received a new and updated pitch for a series that Matthew clearly has a ton of passion for. I will say, I am absolutely apologetic that I did not comment on the previous iteration of the pitch. Regardless, this new one shows how much preparation there was, and I was excited to see a pilot for a deeper look into where the series was going to go. Now, a point that was touched was that Beacon Hallows should be picked up. I can't disagree, because I haven't read the pilot yet. It was posted about 48 hours ago, and my logging into the forum today was the first time I had seen it posted. I will try my best to read it as soon as possible, but, I think, if someone is so strongly adamant that it's picked up, they can also post their support and feedback in the pitch for all to see. As long as I have been on the forum, there has always been a pilot posted with a pitch that is intended to be picked up. While the picked up show may have never posted their actual "premiere" pilot, though, is a different point.

There was also discussion of there being a lack of love and support around the forum. Again, it's not an unknown fact that there has been a lot less activity than years prior. A lot has happened in my life, and I'm sure everyone else's lives, that have prevented them from being able to dedicate as much time to this forum as they once did. I do not want anyone to feel bad for not being active on this site, and I also don't want anyone to feel bad for wanting more activity, as this was purely created and is still something we all do as a hobby. That being said, I do not think we need to shame each other for not posting as much as another person or as much as we used to. That seems counterproductive in my opinion, but I am curious about how ways to generate more involvement. Always feel free to start ideas or reach out!

Moving on, I don't think it's completely fair to say this community is no longer supportive of new writers. I think there seems to be a lot of blame being placed on people who are not posting as much as they used to, instead of others actually posting. Again, there should not be any shame thrown at someone for not being as active. I have not come across any behavior or posts or incidents that are excluding anyone else from being involved or new people from jumping in, but, like Jack said, if I'm totally missing it please bring it to my attention. There was a mention Watchtower, Dropouts, and Paradise Lost seeming to get all of the love, but those shows are the ones that are still currently being written. I simply don't agree with that point, but am always open to hear a counterpoint to it. If people find this site and see those things being posted, it's because their creators are posting them. Speaking from personal experience, I haven't posted anything in any of my shows because I haven't written anything for them, and I think that's safe to say for shows that are not currently active. Let's also not forget that posting in a show's channel is not the only way to be active on this forum, as there are several other threads dedicated to films, TV shows, video games, casting, games, etc.

If there are instances where you feel someone is not getting enough love, please give them love! I know that's a lot easier said than do, though. But that's what I love about this forum - there are so many wonderful ideas brewing here that people have the ability to gravitate to. If you read a pilot, even if you helped edit/write it, you can still post those thoughts in a thread to create excitement and hype!

Matthew, you touched on a similar topic that I addressed above, but I do want to circle back to your statement about us needing to try and be more active. There have been years long gaps between a majority of people's postings on this forum, including myself. I won't deny that. However, I truly think that is an unfair ask of people to put more time and energy into a place if they simply cannot, especially if we don't know their personal circumstances. Not to say that was 100% your intention behind that statement, but I do believe it is a fair discussion to have! I just don't want anyone to feel bad about not posting on a site that is meant to be a hobby. But again, I totally love and agree with the sentiment that I wish the forum was more active!

I love and appreciate the discussion that is currently being had here. As someone who has been on this forum for several years, and loved every moment of it, I thought it was appropriate to respond to this thread. If anyone, whether they have already posted here or not, would like to continue this conversation privately with me or directly in this channel, please feel free to do so. I hope my comments and feedback do not come across and brash or dismissive, because that is absolutely not my intention. I think this is definitely a thoughtful and need discussion, so I truly appreciate it being brought to light, as I know it is not always easy to share your opinion open and honestly. Thank you all again! I look forward to try and bring more activity back to this place.

All my best,

Brady