Liz Ard
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Behind the Scenes: When All Hope Seems Lost
🕑 Added 2024-07-21 15:54:51 +0000 UTCHello! Today I'm talking a little more about my ideas and planning for the Lost Hope video.
Just as much as I love actually animating and thinking of the movement, choosing the cameras and how I want my feelings to come across is very enjoyable and relaxing. Sometimes I feel like I'm just being silly and overthinking things, like people will tell me "it's not that deep", "you're not supposed to be thinking too much about it", but more and more I notice that overthinking about characters and stories IS the part I like about it! So let me talk about it a bit. <3
It was actually thinking of the little emotional nuances of this video and what I wanted to be there, that I realized a big reason of why I couldn't enjoy Dawntrail, and why I enjoyed Shadowbringers immensely. I kinda feel like I can keep going on and on about these little details in what Ishikawa wrote in Shadowbringers, and how she directed the cutscene choices to match it, while I didn't feel like there were barely nuances like that in DT. HOWEVER I didn't mention in the video, but if you finished the DT MSQ: G'raha's reaction here and how he related to her feelings was actually inspired by what he says in one scene at the end that has to do with this. If you know, you know. That one was great! (and I have a guess of who probably wrote that...)
Of course I'm in no way close to being that good of a storyteller, but that's what I strive for in any video. I'm trying to tell stories, after all! I want every choice I make to have meaning, be it in a sad scene like this, or just a funny cute one. So I'm sharing some of things I was thinking about with this one. I hope you enjoy it!
Speaking of storytelling and the little details, I did mention the Cinema Therapy channel in the video. I've been binge watching them a lot lately! If you enjoy these kind of things, check them out! I specially enjoy when the filmmaker points out directing choices that make the scene enphasize the character's feelings. Like why the camera is in a certain position, how the lighting works, things like that. And it also makes me realize that, the more realistic the feelings of the characters are, the better the impact of a scene or character. Which is also something that I was reflecting about my opinion on Dawntrail: the situation doesn't have to be realistic, at all...but the character's feelings and actions feel odd when they're not.
Anyway, sorry for turning this into a rant again. I have a lottt of feelings I'm trying to be rational about. :x
Thank you for watching, and for your support! :)
Comments
Liz Ard
It's fine by me! If you want to talk more or spoilers, we can talk via direct messages here or on twitter! Feel free to also add me on discord, liz_ard_xiv (though I might take a bit to answer sometimes!) :) I love talking about it, even if it's to point out the things I didn't enjoy, would love to share opinions! I'm with you about the scions, I really want more of them too!
Riihu'ta
First idk if its alright to talk about it here idk if like responding in comments is the place to do, I just like to have talk XIV. I didnt mind DT that much except the way it was structured, The world not revolving around her isnt really an issue but they kinda didnt give me a proper reason to fully be invested especially during the rite of succession. It felt kinda one dimensional im rambling or maybe I am just too attached to the scions and the idea of continuing on an adventure with them. hopefully Ishikawa is cooking 8.0 or they get Kazutoyo Maehiro to return, maybe as a response to the critique to the tone of DT XD
Liz Ard
I think the new writer struggled to get the balance between not having the WoL as the main protagonist and just...not having the WoL be important at all. We had many examples of times during the MSQ where the WoL wasn't in the direct spotlight, but it never bothered people as much as in Dawntrail. I think any story and situation can work, it really depends on HOW it's done, so I don't think the WoL not being the protagonist is a problem at all! Of course it all depends on personal opinion and our own expectations and what kind of media we consume outside of FFXIV as well, but it definitely feels very different from how things were handled before Dawntrail. Even before Shadowbringers!
Liz Ard
I personally struggle to believe she actually even had time or power to review the whole thing closely. I don't know how the production works inside SE and we will likely never know, but there's some severe storytelling problems in the writing that, from what we've seen from her, she's never commited before. The characters would often feel out of character on their actions and reactions, and there was a lot of telling and not showing. Sometimes the writing would feel like it was made for children instead of adults at certain points. while we had Shadowbringers that had so much more nuance in how it treated themes and leaving a lot open for player's interpretation. Dawntrail was very much face-value and spelled out for us, there wasn't much to go deep into imho
Riihu'ta
Another thing I noted is that since it was suppose to be your uh vacation story the WoL took a backseat as well as every other character basically got shelved and if you like that or not depends on the person but the agency that was in the other msq wasnt there as much well to me atleast
Riihu'ta
Ishikawa took a step back from main writer into a overseeing role while that means she probably reviewed the writing I think thats a big reason the vibe is different not the tone of the expansion.
