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The Bird is the Word: Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans

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The Avengers–High School Conspiracy

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By Charles Schnell, Who Does Not Actively Follow or Care About the Marvel Movies

Before you scroll down or click away, hear me out. I know this may sound ridiculous, but I think the masterminds over at Marvel entertainment have outlined the four Avengers movies in a way that represents each grade in high school. At least, this is what my experience has led me to theorize.

Let’s go over the series and compare, shall we?

Avengers: Ah, the original. This is freshman year of high school. Think about it. There’s a new team of sheriffs in town. Some are smarter; some are stronger; some are more attractive.  These freshies are here to team up for the first time and save the world. Now, take the average freshman class. Some are smarter; some are stronger; some are more attractive. However, they have all assembled at school for the first time to save each other, and the school as a whole, from bullies. Who are these bullies? Well, that would be the upperclassmen, society, the government, etc. Coincidence? I think not. Avengers is freshman year!

Avengers: Age of Ultron: This is sophomore year, most definitely. No doubt about it. In this one, the overall plot line is not tied up. Thanos is out and about, but not the main focus. This is more of a subplot movie if anything. Now, think about sophomore year of high school. Why does one go to high school? Well, at least if we are talking college-prep schools such as Palm Valley, one goes to get into college. That is the overall, main plot: getting into college. However, sophomores usually are not thinking too heavily about college. And, if they are, imagine how much worrying they’ll be doing junior and senior years, when college—Thanos—has finally arrived. In junior and senior year, all our GPAs start plummeting, and it’s one hard battle after another, and college is sitting right in front of you, taunting, laughing, smiling into the sunset. In sophomore year, that’s not the case. You aren’t focused on getting into college, the main plot. You usually have something else to worry about, the subplot. You’ve got your first (and perhaps your last) AP, your last year where the PSAT does not matter, and your 16th birthday—a classic American milestone. Sophomore year is the Age of Ultron.

Avengers: Infinity War: Time to put on your big kid pants. “Thanos” has arrived, and he is taking no prisoners. All who oppose him will be crushed, and in this “movie,” no “Avenger” is safe. Now, look again at those sentences, but replace “Thanos” with “college,” “movie” with “year,” and “Avenger” with “junior,” and you have a perfect summary of junior year. In years prior, the academic workload usually starts off slow. Everything is okay in the beginning of freshman and sophomore years, and then it all goes down the drain usually once December hits. But, those challenges have been manageable, and you have not let them conquer you. Junior year is much different. Thanos is unlike any other enemy. The junior grind does not allow for any meager distractions. Once junior year starts, it’s “GO GO GO” from the very first day. No time for breaks, no time for opposition. “GO GO GO.” APs! SATs! ACTs! PSATs! Look at colleges! HARVARD! This pain train’s got no breaks; it just hopes its passengers can hold on. Junior year is a war that seems endless, but it eventually ends…. Unfortunately, it might end in a way that you may not want it to. Junior year is the Infinity War.

Avengers: Endgame: “We’re in the endgame now.” I’m not a senior, but if I had to guess, every senior has probably said something akin to this during senior year. It’s the end. Half or so of the senior class was mentally destroyed during junior year. It’s up to the remaining seniors to help motivate their friends back to life, save their GPAs, and finally finish the main plot, the story that has been developing for 18 years; it’s time for the seniors to get into college and enter the next phase of their life. Need I say more? Senior year, the final year of high school, childhood, and—dare I say—innocence, is the Endgame. And yet, at the same time, it is much more than an end. It’s a beginning, a beginning to the next phase of your life.

There you have it. High school is the Avengers. The Avengers is high school. This is my argument, and I have laid it out plainly for you. Now, all that’s left is your opinion. Do you agree with, disagree with, or—best of all—ignore my post, and move on to more important matters?

Editor: Luke Langlois

Wanna make an elegant GIF or Video?

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By Videographer Blogger and Influencer Jeremy Cheng

This is a subtle video. Focus on the leaf. Instead of a leaf falling, it’s rising. Below, Jeremy will explain how you can achieve this effect.

First, download two apps, PicsArt and Plotaverse.

Take any picture that you want to edit.

Open Picsart,  press “+” button, and choose the picture that you want to edit.

Press “Tools” and “Dispersion.”

Cover the shape that you want to disperse.

After covering the shape that you want to disperse, click the “Arrow” button on the right top side.

On the bottom of the page, there are five choices: “Stretch,” “Size,” “Direction,” “Fade,” and “Blend.”

Use them to adjust your image to a perfect shape.

After finishing this step, press “Apply” and “Next” on the right top side.

Save your picture on your device.

Open Plotaverse; press “+”  and “CREATE PHOTOGRAPH” button.

Click “+” button.

Choose the picture that you just edited on the PicsArt and press “Animate.”

You can enlarge your picture and set the arrows as many times as you need on your picture. The arrows will continue in the same direction.

Then, press “Anchor” to block the area where you want it to spread.

Finally, press the “Play” button so that you can see how the image spreads. Then, press the “Share” button on the top right side and save it to your devices.

Now you have a video as elegant as mine. Go forth and edit.

Editor: Holden Hartle

Do YOU want to be a Pokemon trainer?

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By Jeremy Cheng, Pokemon Master

Before Thanksgiving, Nintendo published two new games for the Nintendo Switch called Let’s Go Pikachu! and Let’s Go Eevee! Check out the picture below.


They are both very similar games with a few small differences. Let’s talk about those differences.

Players will get either Pikachu or Eevee, depending on the version that you play.

When choosing Pikachu, we can yell, “Pikachu, I choose you!”

The Pikachu and Eevee that you get at the beginning are not going to “evolve” like most Pokemon do. But, the Pikachu and Eevee that you catch in the wild can evolve.

When using Pikachu and Eevee to enter a battle, the characters are not going to throw a Poke ball to release the Pokemon like in previous versions. Pikachu and Eevee will stand on the player character’s shoulders and jump into the battlefield.


Usually, Pikachu stands on the character’s shoulder, while Eevee sits on character’s head.

The Pikachu and Eevee you get at the beginning are called Partner Pokemon. They can learn special skills that other Pokemon are not able to learn.

In the older versions of the Pokemon games, when players want to catch Pokemon, players have to fight with the Pokemon that they want to catch and throw the Poke ball. In these two versions of the game, players only need to throw the ball. Like in Pokemon Go, there is no battle needed.


The first difference of these games is the outfits. In these games, players can buy different outfits for their partner Pokemon. The clothes that you can buy depend on the version you play.

Secondly, there are some Pokemon that only appear in one version of the game which means that players of both versions have to make Pokemon trades if they want to collect all the Pokemon. It provides a chance for players to be able to interact with other players and gives the game a community.


Players who have played Pokemon Go on the phone can transfer their Pokemon from Pokemon Go to Let’s go Pikachu or Let’s go Eevee.


There is an accessory called the Poke Ball Plus. Players can use Poke Ball Plus to walk their Pokemon in real life. Crazy!


As for me, I prefer Let’s Go Pikachu. When I was young, I imagined that I could have a Pikachu just like Ash, the famous character of the TV show who has the first generation Pikachu. This game lets me realize my childhood dream.


Editor: Luke Langlois

Review of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun

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By James Zheng

Hey guys, today I got completely new stuff for you! I am not recommending the overwhelmingly popular anime, but I am recommending some meaningful anime. Today, I am going to present a unique anime for you. When you take a look at this anime title, you might think something like, ”What is this about? Publishing a magazine every month?” Well, that would be quite boring, right? Although the title seems really confusing, the story is perfectly arranged. In addition, the rhythm of story always sticks with the plot. As you are watching it, it won’t be too hard to follow the storyline.

Monthly Girls’ was produced by Doga Kobo animation studio, which is a pretty famous company. Doga Kobo’s anime style can be described as “cute.” Among the realm of anime, Doga Kobo dominates in character design. The company is so specialized in designing the appearance of characters that Doga Koba’s works are very attractive to teenagers. Monthly Girls’ was published by Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd, and Media factory, and they both are the brand company of Kadokawa Corporation.

In short, Monthly Girls’ is a romantic comedy. But, the events that happen in the story do not follow the normal routine of romantic comedy. There will actually be many “What the heck?” moments. The funny and surprising storyline goes on for 12 episodes; right after you finish one episode, you might want to move on to next one immediately.

 

In Monthly Girls’, Sakura Chiyo is a heroine who wants to express her love to the hero, the famous romance author Nozaki Umetarou. When she comes to Nozaki, she is feeling extremely nervous which makes her say the wrong words to Nozaki. “I am your fan!” When those words come out, Nozaki freezes. And all the sudden he replies, “You could come to my house tonight.” Then, the story begins . . . but not as you expect. Basically, to give you a sense of the setting of the story rather than spoiling it, I would say that’s the most intriguing part of Episode 1. Watch it; see what happens.

Before I decided to recommend this anime, I already knew that many people prefer action anime. On the other hand, I am saying that we could switch our taste of anime by seeing different anime styles. Moreover, Monthly Girls’ definitely will not disappoint.

 

Editor: Holden Hartle

Review of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands

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By James Zheng, Game and Anime Review Expert

 

Nowadays, to fulfill a variety of demands from gamers, the realm of games has been developing rapidly in many different aspects. There are many factors that determine the quality of a game and its reputation. One of the most important factors is having an open-world, which refers to a massively sized virtual world that players can openly explore and do whatever they want. An example of this is Minecraft. Minecraft was definitely an incredible product and showed the world that many people are interested in an open-world game. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands is one of the best examples of a successful open-world game.

 

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, which is usually known as Wildlands, was produced by Ubisoft Paris (one of the subsidiary branches of Ubisoft) and published by Ubisoft. Ubisoft is an international game company which has already released plenty of outstanding games such as the series of Assassin’s Creed, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, and Watch Dogs. The title says Tom Clancy because Wildlands is adapted from the novel written by Clancy. A majority of the games produced by Ubisoft are adapted from Clancy’s novels.

 

Basically, Wildlands is a tactical third-person game. Unlike first-person games, you have a third-person perspective in Wildlands. The game also has high quality graphics. Sometimes you feel like the images in the game are reality. Wildlands is a game that supports single-player and multiplayer. You could play against other players, or you could cooperate with other players to fight computer-controlled enemies. It depends on your preference. You could also choose single-player and explore the land with other 3 NPCs (non-player-characters, characters not controlled by players). I  strongly suggest that you play with your friends! It is way more fun than playing alone.

 

Wildlands is set in Bolivia, South America, which is absolutely not like the Bolivia in real life. The “Bolivia”  has been given a special background in the game. Here, players are carrying out several missions with their team, Ghost. You are here to save Bolivia from total control by drug cartels. The player must find out who is behind all these cartels and stop them. In the battlefield,  the player has to make every decision in a split second. Players can go straight into drug-cartel nest and have a war with them. Or, you could be more strategic by using your drone to detect the position of enemies, and then be a sniper to eliminate enemies from far distance. The best part about the game is that players can come up with so many different options to attack; it’s a tactical game. And again, whether to be aggressive or strategic depends upon the player.

 

There are not many examples of game producers adding an open-world to a shooting game. Although some of them tried to make it work, they have failed in the overall quality and playability. Wildlands is an exception for that. I have played Wildlands with my friends for at least 50 hours.

 

You can play Wildlands on XBOX, PS4, and PC. If any of these details about Wildlands attract you, you should give it a shot! The classic version is $49.99. If you want to enjoy extra content, you should look into buying the advanced version.

 

Note: Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands is recommended for people who are seventeen or older.        

 

Editor: Luke Langlois

Review of the Anime Steins;Gate

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By James Zheng, Anime Reviewer

Today I have a new type of anime for you guys. Steins;Gate is a slow rhythm anime, an anime with a story that moves step by step. But, don’t be disappointed immediately, as this anime achieves an outstanding rating–about 9 out of 10 or even higher on the majority of websites, and it definitely deserves that reputation. Regardless of the rating, it has a really logical storyline even if some of the elements of Steins;Gate are fantastical.

Steins;Gate is an anime that was adapted from a visual novel game of the same name that was developed by 5pb and Nitroplus (a visual novel game is a type of computer game that has a story that is told to you in the form of a graphic novel, but it is online, and you can make decisions within the novel, which is more like a video game; therefore, it is a visual novel game) . The game had overwhelmingly positive reviews. Then, the anime adaptation of the visual novel game was produced by Mika Nomura and Yoshinao Doi while White Fox, an animation company, was working on the anime’s various episodes. Finally, Steins;Gate was released in 2011; it was distributed by Frontier Works.  

In the crazy world of anime, there is so much content released that is absolutely terrible. In fact, we are totally inundated with anime that is god-awful. Unfortunately, there’s so much anime out there, bad and good, that eventually, even really incredible animes can become “old” and lose their influence on the anime community after three to four years. But that is not always the case, and I’m happy to say that Steins;Gate is an exception to the rule. So, how can an anime that was published a full 7 years ago still influence plenty of animes nowadays? If I could only explain one reason as to why this is an exception to the rule, I would say that it is because most science fiction anime is absolutely ridiculous, and this one is absolutely plausible. Honestly, there is much more ridiculous and implausible science fiction anime than there is good anime. Usually, when you are watching a science-fiction anime, most of its content is ridiculous and only very little of its content seems to be plausible. Again, that is not the case with Steins;Gate. Anime is not reality; however, it could fill with realistic matters, and when you are trying to add something realistic in anime in science-fiction, it becomes so boring. Well, Steins;Gate avoids that completely so that the story is fused with science-fiction and reality, and it also keeps balance in both so as not to ruin this anime.

As I mentioned earlier, Steins;Gate has a logical storyline. And before I get into that, there is one thing important I need to tell you: Steins;Gate has twenty-five episodes in total, but the real story begins at the thirteenth episode. The previous twelve episodes set the stage for the main plot ahead, but that plot only really begins to show its true colors in episode thirteen. You might think it is meaningless to watch twelve episodes and wait for the “real show” to start, but I don’t suggest that you skip those 12 episodes since all of the plot threads introduced in the first twelve episodes are later paid off in the last thirteen episodes, making for a much richer experience. So, fair warning: you might be totally confused at the beginning, but, wait; everything will make sense after the thirteenth episode.

The story is set in Akihabara, Tokyo. In it, Okabe Rintarou, a college student who believes so strongly in himself as to believe he is the best scientist in the world, dreams of building a time machine. He sets up a lab, calling it the “Future Gadget Laboratory,” to conduct research that is necessary in order to achieve his seemingly impossible goal of time travel. One day, by pure accident, he takes a huge leap forward towards his goal, and eventually even builds the time machine. When built, the time machine causes many miserable tragedies that would have otherwise been avoided.

What makes Steins;Gate brilliant is how the plot logically turns around and how the main story at the end links with the first twelve episodes in an unexpected way. For anyone interested in anime, it will be very astonishing to watch!

 

Note: Steins;Gate is recommended for those who are fifteen or older.

 

Editor: Leo Milmet

The Unquestionable Ranking of Every Pixar Movie

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By Luke Langlois

Pixar has released twenty movies. If you are looking for a proper and critical ranking of all twenty of those movies, this is not the place. However, if you are looking for my highly opinionated ranking of all twenty Pixar films (because who isn’t?), then this is just the post for you. Warning: Some Pixar Spoilers Below

  1. The Good Dinosaur: This is a good movie. While the big lizards known as dinosaurs frequently emerge from extinction to grace the cinematic universe, they are usually characterized as big meanies. This time though, they were friendly big lizards. I rank it as the worst Pixar film because I forgot this was a movie, until now.

 

  1.  Coco: This movie was good and, of course, critically acclaimed. However, I thought it was kind of “bleh.”

 

  1. Finding Dory: Pixar has lived off of the fame of Finding Nemo for fourteen years now. When a studio releases a sequel to an excellent movie, the pressure is on to somehow raise the bar. This sequel was great, but it did not live up to my set expectations. Therefore, #18.

 

  1. A Bug’s Life: A Bug’s Life is essentially the cult film of Pixar’s empire. This is an awesome movie, and it inspired one of the greatest attractions at Disneyland, the “It’s Tough to be a Bug” production. I put it at #17 because nobody should ever sympathize with ants.

 

  1. Cars 2: Critics really hate this movie. But, it’s a spy thriller with cars! This movie has been the recipient of a lot of flack, but I really do not think it is warranted. The critics are wrong. Go Tow, Mater!

  1. WALL-E: This is a great movie minus one thing. It’s too realistic. How am I supposed to enjoy a movie that depicts something so awful?! Therefore, I’m not a huge fan of it. Although, who can truly resist the story of two robots falling in love in a post-apocalyptic world?

 

  1. Monsters University: James P. Sullivan and Mike Wazowski in college! This is probably the most average movie Pixar has made. I do not believe anyone actually wanted or asked for a prequel to Monsters, Inc., but it was done, and it was done well.  

 

  1. Toy Story: This was the first movie ever to be released by Pixar, which gives it a special spot in the heart of all. Released in 1995, this movie set new precedents on just about every law of cinematic animation. Pixar said, “This is what we can do. What can you do, other movie studios?” The characters have definitely proven to be timeless. The animation is showing some age, but this does not take away from the enjoyment of the movie.

 

  1. Cars 3: When I was watching this movie in theaters, I really enjoyed it…until the end. They ruined a possible classic with the ending of this movie. I expected an epic comeback from the greatest Pixar character in existence, Lightning McQueen. What ended up happening was his trainer finishing the race for him. It was a lame ending to an otherwise thrilling movie.

 

  1. Brave: Brave, to me, is the most underrated Pixar film. The red-headed archer, Merida, is probably the most down-to-Earth protagonist in the Pixar universe. Plus, the Scottish medieval setting is my FAVORITE setting in any Pixar film. “If you had the chance to change your fate, would you?”

 

  1. Finding Nemo: Similarly to Toy Story, Pixar has been riding off of the coattails of Finding Nemo for years. The plot is oh-so heartwarming (if you forget the annihilation of 500 fish eggs along with the mother of said eggs), and it is the only Pixar movie to take the audience to the upside-down country known as Australia. Overall, this movie is a classic for a reason.

  1. Toy Story 2: I like this movie far more than I like the first one. Pixar managed to make a sequel that not only was on par with the first one, which is quite the achievement. Unlike most sequels, it simply feels like a better movie all around, with regards to animation and storytelling. My one gripe with this movie is the inclusion of a ridiculous sequence in which a toy horse is able to keep up with a real-life, full-size airplane going full speed on a runway.

 

  1. Ratatouille: Only director Brad Bird could make an excellent movie about a chef in Paris, who happens to be a rat. Besides the uniquely comedic and well executed storyline, this movie is another one that stands out due to its setting. I’ve never been to Paris, but my limited (yet extremely accurate and unquestionable) knowledge of Paris comes largely from Ratatouille. Somehow, watching a movie about a rat in Paris makes anyone feel elegant.

 

  1. Inside Out: After a series of Pixar “misses” (such as Cars 2, Brave, and Monsters University), Pixar took a two-year gap before putting out another movie. The movie they put out was Inside Out; it did not disappoint. I think this film is going to continue to be the best original universe of the “modern” Pixar era. It is also the only Pixar movie to include hockey, and I am a big hockey fan.

 

  1. Toy Story 3: In a critical ranking, I would give all the Toy Story movies the exact same ranking. I put Toy Story 3 above the other two on my list because Pixar again manages to improve the franchise, even with the third movie. Again, I bring up the fact that sequels usually do not top the original. However, the Toy Story franchise once again proves to be an exception to the rule. After all, the strawberry bear villain is without a doubt the most menacing villain the toys have ever faced. On June 21st, 2019, Pixar is releasing a fourth Toy Story film. We will have to see where that is destined to end up in my rankings.

 

  1. Up: Up is such a critically acclaimed movie due to how well it seems to touch the “human” part of being a human. The first few minutes of this movie are beloved by most and bring many to tears. While that’s great and all, I simply like the main character, Carl, and the dog, Dug. Plus, I could listen to the main theme all day. ♫♫♫♫

 

  1. Cars: For some reason, many people dislike this movie. They are wrong. The movie is just short of perfect. Lightning McQueen has brought forth joy to millions, perhaps even billions. He could not have done this without this fantastic addition to Pixar’s collection. Owen Wilson, the voice actor who played Lightning McQueen, would say one thing about this movie, “Wow!”

 

  1. Monsters, Inc: Monsters, Inc. brought the green, one-eyed Mike Wazowski and the big blue dude James P. Sullivan to the spotlight. The fresh monster universe portrayed in this film almost feels like science fiction. The whole concept of an entire monster factory having doors that lead to different locations is, as an understatement, clever. The scene near the end that has the protagonists running from the law through a massive factory of doors will always be one of the most iconic scenes in the Pixar universe. Also, monsters use the screams of children to power their cities. Who knew?

 

  1. Incredibles 2: I am not often excited about movies being released. I was incredibly excited for Incredibles 2. I have been waiting for this movie for as long as I can remember, and it fully lived up to my expectations. That should say something by itself. The animation is gorgeous. The soundtrack is art. The plotline was dark enough to keep both kids and adults entertained. The true achievement of Incredibles 2 is its ability to maintain all of the characters of the film. Not a single beat was skipped between the original and the sequel, regardless of the 14-year gap.

 

  1. The Incredibles: This movie not only tops Pixar movies, it tops all movies. The Incredibles is an enthralling film that brings in family turmoil, high-flyin’ super-powered action, and a rich backstory that is jam packed into a movie less than two hours long. I could probably write an entire post about this movie, so I’ll send it off with one word: incredible.

Editor: Leo Milmet

Review of “Your Name”

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By James Zheng, thebirdonfire.org Game and Animé Reviewer

Hey guys, today I bring you a different type of animé–which I call, the most successful animé movie ever! As you see, “Your Name” (or Kimi no Na Wa) is a really simple title. But it achieved several awards and a highest rank on the history of animé. It achieved the first prize of the eighth Newtype Animation Award, the Best Animated Film from the 42nd Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards; plus it won more than ten other awards. It’s not exaggerating; it’s the fact that “Your Name” is truly amazing.

“Your Name” was published by Toho Company, Limited, a major Japanese film company. It took three years to prepare the story and script of “Your Name.” Production was led by a really famous director, Makoto Shinkai. “Your Name” is a masterpiece. Shinkai thought about every detail and design of character for a long time. It reached the expectations of many people.

“Your Name” has a realistic style. Most scenes in “Your Name” are taken from the image of Tokyo. The imagery is so real it appears a picture of Tokyo. There is intense presentation on the changing of color and combination of color.

“Your Name” is a romantic animé. But the story of “Your Name” is not hackneyed. It has some fantastical parts, which could actually catch an audience’s attention. Let me tell you more; the story between hero and heroine is really dramatic. The story is set in a small village in Japan; a girl who lives in that village is weary of living in a such tiny village with old traditions. One day, she dreams that she becomes a boy who lives in Tokyo. She is confused, and she suddenly has some unfamiliar friends. At the same time, the hero also has a strange dream. What happened in the dream brings them together.

 Well, when you start to watch this animé, you will notice that it is even more fascinating than what I have described! Although there are no fighting scenes in “Your Name,” it can still shock you with the storyline!

Editor: Makena Behnke

Review of “The Good Place” — Becoming a “Good” Person

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By Dayton Kennard

The Good Place is an ongoing NBC/Netflix show that’s currently in its third season, with each new episode being uploaded to Netflix a few hours after its original airing on NBC. The series starts off with Eleanor Shellstrop waking up in “The Good Place,” a heaven-like town where only the kindest of the kindest people go when they die. She’s introduced to the town, shown her new home (which has been made and styled to perfectly match her personality), and matched with her soulmate, Chidi. In this perfect place, the only problem is her. Eleanor quickly figures out that she’s been mistaken for someone else, as the memories shown to her are not her own and there’s no way that she was as good a person as anyone around her.

This sets up the main theme of the show: becoming a good person. As Eleanor doesn’t belong in “The Good Place” due to her actions when she was alive, she sets out to become a good person and fit in with the rest of her neighbors. Each episode will have a specific problem that needs to be faced, and there will be flashbacks that allow us to see the difference of how she handled a similar problem in the past compared to how she’s handling it now. We get insight into how she’s evolving emotionally as she feels guilt over bad decisions and actions rather than just passing it off as someone else’s problem. Without spoiling much, I can say that these flashbacks are often amusing and absurd, providing a good break between the serious situation and the attempts to fix the current problem. Even though this seems like just a comedy at first glance, the show does teach its viewers better morals, whether it’s little acts of kindness or learning when to take one for the team.

I don’t want to spoil anything about the show, but I can tell you that they pack tons of action and plot into the 22-minute episodes, and the plot twists at the end of each season leave you shaking in your seat anticipating what will happen next. I recommend taking a day of relaxing on the couch with your blanket and snacks to binge the first two seasons in around 10 hours if you’re watching on Netflix with no ads. I hope you have fun watching it, and remember, you’re constantly being watched and judged for your every action to determine if you’ll spend your afterlife eternally suffering! 😀

Editor: Makena Behnke

HowFashion 04: TikTok Edition

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By HowFashion Blog Correspondent Jeremy Cheng

Nowadays, there are increasing numbers of youngsters who use their phone to watch short videos. Therefore, Musical.ly was produced.

Musical.ly provides a chance for people who like to perform and pay nothing to do it.

In September 2016, TikTok was produced, an app which also makes short videos for social media.

TikTok users are able to choose music, take video, and produce their own video. This app was released on the Android App Store and the Apple App Store.

Since video recording technology was produced, the most popular type of short video in the whole world is MV (music video), and it is the most difficult type of short video to produce of all the short videos.

A music video is the most difficult type of short video to film. The majority of people can’t make their own music, and they have to borrow others, pretending to act and sing or play music anytime, anywhere.

Dubsmash performance solved this problem using audio, music, and script. Users only need to act, and each video is no longer than 15 seconds. It lowers the difficulty of making a video, increasing the fun of content; thus, they are easier to spread.

(An Example of Dubsmash use) http://v.douyin.com/dVoKgQ/

There are two ways to film a short video. The first one is TikTok, which provides everything that users need, and the second is for users to make their own music, script, and video.

Dubsmash is PGC (Professionally-generated Content) music combined with UGC (User-generated Content) video.

TikTok is also a social media app. Users can share their daily life on TikTok, and at the same time people can make more friends and learn different anecdotes from them.

(Examples) http://v.douyin.com/dVt6jY/

Users can edit their video speed and special effects (slow-motion, repeating, flashing, reversing), which not only makes it seem like they are the one singing but also makes it a more creative video.

(Examples) https://www.iesdouyin.com/share/video/6602192209418652935/?region=US&mid=6490330650472942349&u_code=h8b64ac1&titleType=title&timestamp=1538022597&utm_campaign=client_share&app=aweme&utm_medium=ios&tt_from=copy&utm_source=copy&iid=44841159240

However, note, from March 1st to March 31st, 2018, there were 27,231 videos, 8,921 songs, and 15,234 accounts banned because of copyright infringement.

 

Why did TikTok become popular?

“Populars” effect is the one most important key that makes TikTok popular.

In mid-March, TikTok became well known. Many people think that TikTok invites influencers to advertise their application.

On March 13, a famous comedian published an article with the TikTok Logo, and after the day he posted, the numbers of views increased rapidly.

Content operating is the foundation of appeal with users.

With content operating, TikTok has created a special algorithm that can distribute views to everyone, which means if a normal person does not have fans, one can have many fans if one films a good video. Therefore, there has been an increasing number of people who are willing to join TikTok and use it.

Stephanie, a fellow student, had taken a vlog and uploaded it to TikTok. She got 40k views and 1.5k likes.

http://v.douyin.com/dVGUeL/

TikTok operators are good at combining real-time hot spots and change it to what teenagers like. For instance, teenagers were interested in ThugLife, a famous trend of wearing sunglasses with a big gold chain, which appeals to many young adults.

http://v.douyin.com/dVs4hK/

http://v.douyin.com/dVph1p/

TikTok, on average, gets 6 billion hits daily!!!

Why are so many people addicted to TikTok?

According to Sensor Tower, TikTok was downloaded 35 million times in August 2018!!

Some people would claim short videos are boring, while others would claim the short videos of TikTok make people want to keep watching more videos. People think that the next video will be more interesting, and because of this belief it acquires 6 billions daily hits!

 

Editor: AJ Patencio