#the composition and interpretation of this program...

[shomaunos]

shoma uno, dancing on my own || 2019 japan open

[belligerentbagel]

while the rest of the discord was trying to unlock the most eldritch waifu that waifulabs could spin up, Spruce generated four regal variants that we dubbed the coral princesses of reef kingdom

[woodwind-sensei]

The Program Components: An In-Depth Look

 If you’re relatively new to the figure skating world, you’re probably confused as fuck about the program components. What do they mean? Where did they come from? Why are people complaining about the component marks for particular skaters? If you’re one of these people, this is the post for you.

After the judging fiasco that was the 2002 Winter Olympics, the ISU began measures to completely redo the judging system, which was the beginning of the end of the old 6.0 system that had long ruled over the sport. What emerged about a year later was what we know as the first iteration of the ISU Judging System; a new, open-ended scoring system where technical elements had base value points that were given bonuses/deductions for execution. Then the artistic impression mark was replaced what is known as program components: Skating Skills, Transitions, Performance, Composition, and Interpretation of the Music would be judged on a scale of 1-10, and combined to make a PC mark.

This post is going to be a very in-depth look at the program components. There have been many contentions to these marks in the past couple of seasons, so it’s paramount that, as fans, we educate ourselves so that we understand whether or not component marks actually make sense for a particular program or performance. 

Skating Skills

“Defined by overall cleanness and sureness, edge control and flow over the ice surface demonstrated by a command of the skating vocabulary (edges, turns, steps, etc.), the clarity of technique and the use of effortless power to accelerate and vary speed.” - ISU Handbook

Skating skills is the movement component. How well a skater moves across the ice and how they achieve speed and flow is fundamental to how a program is perceived. You could have amazing edges and multi-directional skating, but if you move slow as a snail, your skating skills could still use improvement, and your other submarks could be also affected (if you have judges who actually, ya know, judge).

If I had to point at any examples of skaters with skating skills, the one I immediately think of is Guillaume Cizeron (FRA). He moves across the ice effortlessly, and has such variety and beauty in every stroke and step. The Japanese skaters in general also embody everything that is good skating skills. Satoko Miyahara and Kaori Sakamoto are the two skaters that come to mind for me: they both have an amazing knee bend that allows them to dig into the ice and really create some powerful strokes. Then we have skaters like Alina Zagitova (RUS). She has some good skating qualities, but what sets her a little bit lower than, say, Sakamoto can be seen in their back crossovers: Kaori is so smooth when she does a back crossover, and can reach max speed without restricting the flow of her body (that’s where those good knees come in). But Alina’s crossovers are a lot more jagged in motion. Her feet move rather statically, and she tends to be high in the knee. This translates into her usage of her upper body in jumps, because she doesn’t get the natural spring into the air that a deeper knee bend could help with. 

Transitions

“The varied and purposeful use of intricate footwork, positions, movements and holds that link all elements.”

How do you connect the technical elements? Transitions is the mark that covers the in-between, “moves-in-the-field” (6.0 term) kinds of movements. The mark is based on variety and difficulty of movements before and after major elements. So, if a skater uses interesting entries and exits for all the jumps, or there is a seamless quality between all the elements, the Transitions mark should be high. There is also the opposite: a problem American singles skaters have is that they often “telegraph” their jumps, meaning that they will do close to no choreography and just hold a long edge before their jumps. Even if a choreographer gives them a program with built-in transitional content, you find that by the end of the season, these moments are often removed for the sake of the jumps.

This is the mark that I have the most issue with. Of all the criteria that the ISU gives for the transitions mark, the glaring omission is “movement that matches the music/phrasing”. Nowadays, transitional content is done for the mark, and there isn’t any care to really match it to the music (????). This is extremely evident in Eteri Turberidze’s skaters’ programs. Johnny Weir said about Alina Zagitova (RUS) at the 2018-19 GPF, “she’s been choreographed within an inch of her life.” And that’s why I hate her programs this year. The transitions and movements are distracting rather than enhancing or impressive. The movements are so crammed into the program, there is no time to breathe. An unfortunately, this is rewarded: Tutberidze skaters generally get a bump in the components scores, especially in this specific mark. There needs to be more relationship between the music and transitional content. The king of the transition mark is Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN). He is able to weave the elements into the program at any point, and there’s no telling when a jump or spin will begin. For example, watch his 2018 Olympics short program, and pay close attention to the triple axel. It comes out of a series of super hard steps capped off by a left-back-outside counter turn. The counter is one of the harder figures to use in front of a jump, and Yuzu does it with complete freedom.

Performance

“Involvement of the Skater/Pair/Couple physically, emotionally and intellectually as they deliver the intent of the music and composition.”

The mark that is easiest to understand at a base level, the Performance mark is about how the skater(s) perform on a specific competition and how they project past the board of the rink. How do they carry themselves on the ice? Are the movements clear, precise, and easy to read from the rafters? If it’s a pair or an Ice Dance team, are they in unison the whole way through? Do they move as one unit? These are contributing factors to how involved a performance is. Another key factor to this mark is audience response. Does the program illicit cheers, or leave an audience breathless and captivated? If there were skaters who are the complete rulers of the Performance mark, it’s Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (CAN). They really move together, and engage the audience in a way that few skaters can. I personally believe Papadakis and Cizeron should have won the Olympics, but I can for sure see why Virtue and Moir came away with the gold: they knew how to draw the audience in, especially in the short dance. Javier Fernandez (ESP) also excelled in this particular component mark. He was the showman of the quadrennium, and was charming and engaging in any program he performed on competition ice.

Composition

“An intentionally developed and/or original arrangement of all types of movements according to the principles of musical phrase, space, pattern, and structure.”

This mark encompasses choreography. Does the movement presented cover the ice well? Are the patterns into and out of elements clean and interesting to watch? Is there a clear arc to the choreography? Is it original material? The last Olympic cycle was the catastrophe that was Backload City, Russia. A lot of Russian skaters began placing all their jumps in the second half of the program, which garnered a 10% bonus. As former ISU judge and co-creator of the Program Components Joe Inman put it, “the program is unbalanced.” Backloaded programs should have had reduced Composition marks in the previous system, which wasn’t the case. 

A good program composition evenly spreads out the technical elements, and reflects the personality of the skater. This season, my favorite program hands down is the short program from Satoko Miyahara. Known for her grace and subtleness on the ice, Lori Nichol did an absolutely amazing job bringing power to Satoko, while maintaining elegance, softness, and purity. It also helps that Satoko is one of the strongest skaters in the world in terms of pure skating skills: she is able to spin in both directions, which helps in both spins and step sequences, and is able to link very difficult steps together with ease. Every program she has done was full of variation and virtuosity.

Interpretation of the Music

“The personal, creative, and genuine translation of the rhythm, character and content of music to movement on ice.”

This component encompasses music and movement. If the other components slightly touched upon this important relationship, this final component mark has it in a stranglehold. There are some key things to think about here: does the movement match the pace of the music? Do the steps and strokes align with the emphasized beats/tempo of the music? Does the movement clearly express the emotion of the music? Does the skater match the program? This is another criticism of the Tutberidze camp. You could honestly take any Daniil G. choreography, mute the music, then put Yakkity Sax on, and the choreography would make just as much sense. The choreography is done for levels, not for presentation, which is what the components marks should be modeled for. 

  One of my favorite programs of recent years was Kaetlyn Osmond’s (CAN) 2017-18 short program to Edith Piaf songs. It’s sexy, age appropriate, and has a variety of beautiful movements that are tailored to the music. This season, though, has seen some great programs that use the music to enhance the skater’s qualities and strengths. Lim Eun-soo’s (KOR) short program this year is a complete stunner. Choreographer Jeffrey Buttle did a stellar job, interpreting the music of the movie Somewhere in Time, using it as a frame to make Eun-soo the consummate skater: powerful, yet delicate. Soft, yet strong. 

How [I think] The Components Relate to Each Other

A lot of what I’ve said so far seems like it overlaps. Sweetie, they were designed to overlap. If a skater doesn’t have a solid grasp on one component, chances are the other marks are questionable at best. The most obvious relationship is skating skills and transitions: without good skating skills, there is no chance in hell a skater can do interesting and varied transitional content. I keep on using Kaori Sakamoto as an example for skating skills/transitions, because she really is a skater who puts two and two together. Sonoko Nakano, her coach, makes her students practice figures like counters and rockers, so they understand how those steps function in their routines. The result is that Kaori has excellent knees, speed, and flow through almost any step. Take her entrance into her first triple-triple here. Only a few sweeping crossovers and some rockers and she is able to fly across the ice. Then there’s performance, composition, and interpretation of the music. They all convey the same thing: what is the program and what does the skater do it affect the audience? Let’s take a program like Virtue and Moir’s (CAN) Free Dance at the last Olympics: it’s a clear interpretation of Moulin Rouge with excellent carriage and a composition designed to bring the house down. That energy in Gangneung Ice Arena must have been so powerful. It leaps right off your TV screen and sucks you in. Even with a program like theirs, or something more nuanced and subtle like that of Gabriella Papadakis/Guilaume Cizeron (FRA), you can’t do them without good skating skills. Everything inevitably has to relate back to the skater’s athletic ability. If a skater cannot accomplish movement on the ice, the program is going to suffer indefinitely.

This analysis of the components is far from perfect. I’m not a trained skater myself, but I really wanted to understand as many of the steps and moves myself in order make sense of a lot of the programs. Hopefully this helps you learn more about the current judging system and why sometimes, fans will speak for or against certain marks that the judges give out.

[luvvhisper]

ㅤㅤthings to script in your figure skater dr

ㅤtechnical components scores (tcs)

this values difficulty (base value) and execution (goe/grade of execution)

jumps

you have textbook technique on all six jumps

you have minimal pre-rotation and you never under-rotate

you have good height, travel and air position

your landings look effortless and elegant and maintain deep edges

you can save difficult landings and make them look cool or elegant

your jumps don't lose quality during the second half of your programs

you can perform jump combos without any struggles

your eulers look gorgeous

your programs have a good jump layout

spins

you have extremely fast rotation speed and don't lose your flexibility

your spins are covered and you don't travel

you can create difficult and creative variations

you maintain your speed through the whole spin

step and choreographic sequences

you have excellent body control

you don't lose your speed!!!

your stsq/chsq are creative

you can incorporate ina bauers, spirals and hydroblades beautifully and make them look effortless

ㅤprogram component scores (pcs)

this evaluates the performance quality/artistry

skating skills

you have deep edges and you use them correctly

you generate speed effortlessly and have a powerful glide

you can skate on one foot without losing balance or becoming tired

you have an impressive ice coverage

transitions

you can do difficult entrances and exits

you integrate them to the program naturally, without interrupting the flow

presentation

you have a strong stage presence

you are confident under pressure

you can emotionally connect with the audience

you receive standing ovations during your specialty (jumps, spins, choreographic/step sequences)

every single person who watches your programs becomes hypnotized by it

composition

you programs are thoroughly structured around the music and each movement matches it

you distribute elements in a balanced way

your programs are innovative, original and creative

interpretation

you can embody any character or theme

you can portray and express emotions through movement and facial expressions without looking exaggerated or weird

you tell stories through your skating

ㅤextras!!!

you never get injured, and if you do, you recover quickly. and your body is strong!!!

you never get underscored; the score system is fair!!!! with everyone

you have a signature movement (or blade? you can choose the color of your blade, if you didn't know)

you set multiple records that are never beaten

you have goat allegations (?)

your programs and/or costumes become so iconic they're part of pop culture

your costumes are related to the program without being too obvious and they never look cheap

you learn and create choreographies quickly and easily

you have a long, healthy and trustful relation with your coach and choreographer

you constantly push technical and artistic standards forward

you're never off-podium

you're known for consistency and longevity

you have a ridiculous strong dominance and presence in the sport

[door2hevn]

HEY TWINSIES...,I see the request is open...so..what I want to request is,can you make an au or anything I can read with my eyes and toes,SOO the story idea is like,y/n is Rohan sibling..sister..or you can make it anypov!,and y/n move to morioh after we graduate from a literal college at the same age as josuke,UHH YOU CAN PUT ANY REASON WHY WE GRADUTE COLLEGE/UNI,and after we move to morioh we low-key bump into the pompadour steak hair talk guy after getting an art supply for Rohan cuz he's stressing over his manga...(Better than hanging it with teenagers),and we apologize to him he said it's okay,then after that day we or y/n and josuke start hanging out..of course with okuyasu as the third wheel,after a few days or weeks or month..we both like each other and that ALMOST or probably gave Rohan HEART attack because ain't no WAY his sibling have a crush on the weird pompadour guy who burnt his house down,the rest of the story is free for your liking..you can make them both,(y/n and josuke) get together or get married or have child or live happily ever after,(basically stranger to lover trope),this is so bizarre and what a golden experience , I'm feeling ticklish

A Stroke of Good Luck

♡‧₊˚✦ Pairing ✦˚₊‧♡: josuke higashikata x fem reader

☾⚠︎ warnings: I made reader an artist woops

Graduating from a prestigious, hyper-accelerated university fine arts program at twenty-one years old was supposed to be the launchpad for a peaceful career.

The real triumph, however, was surviving the suffocating standards of an older brother like Rohan Kishibe.

Rohan was a genius, yes, but he was also a perfectionist who viewed the world as a canvas meant solely for his interpretation. After a grueling final semester of thesis reviews and gallery showcases, an invitation to move into Rohan’s newly rebuilt Morioh estate felt like a decent chance to decompress and work on independent studio pieces.

"Rohan, you need to breathe," a sigh echoed through the minimalist hallway as Rohan’s studio door was flung open with dramatic force.

Rohan stood on the threshold, his hairband slightly crooked, holding a ruined G-pen like a weapon of war.

"llHow can I breathe when the local art supplier delivered the wrong pigment density for my midnight-black ink? It’s absorbing the light all wrong! If I use this, the shading on the antagonist's cape will look like cheap charcoal! I need the imported premium pigment from the boutique shop down the block. Now!"

"I'm going, I'm going. Just don't destroy the furniture while I'm out." Taking his heavy designer wallet from the desk, a quick exit was made into the bright, warm Morioh afternoon before he could find a way to critique the composition of the hallway shoes.

The air was thick with the scent of summer and sea salt. The errand was a success the incredibly specific, absurdly expensive ink Rohan was throwing a tantrum over was secured, along with a few extra packs of high-quality multimedia sketchpads.

Leaving the boutique, with a massive brown paper bag packed to the brim with glass ink bottles, delicate pen nibs, and heavy paper blocked all peripheral vision.

"Okay, just a few more blocks," a muttered reminder cut through the quiet street. "If I drop this, Rohan will actually use his Stand to rewrite my fears to include 'ink stains.'"

A sharp, hasty turn was taken around the corner by the local convenience store.

BOOM.

It was like walking face-first into a moving brick wall. The impact sent a shockwave through the paper bag, and gravity took over. Time seemed to slow down as glass ink bottles tumbled toward the concrete.

"Whoa! Watch out!"

Before a hard landing could happen, a massive, incredibly strong hand caught a forearm, stabilizing the balance instantly.

At the exact same fraction of a second, a pink, muscular, glowing entity materialized out of thin air. With lightning speed and impossible precision, it caught every single falling ink bottle, pen, and sketchpad before they could even graze the pavement.

A blink, a rub of the eyes, and the glowing entity vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving a tall stranger holding the perfectly intact art supplies.

"Ah! Oh my god, I am so, so sorry!" a frantic apology poured out. "I couldn't see over the bag, I should have been looking where I was going-"

"Hey, hey, it’s totally cool! No harm done, see?"

Looking up, the breath caught. Standing there was a tall, remarkably broad-shouldered man

He had a ridiculously handsome face, soft blue eyes, and a warm, easygoing smile that immediately melted away the panic.

"Are you alright? Didn't twist an ankle or anything, did ya?" he asked, extending a hand. His grip was warm and firm. "Wow... you have incredible reflexes. I thought for sure those glass bottles were goners."

"Let's just say I'm good at fixing things before they completely break," he said with a playful wink, handing the perfectly packed bag back. "I'm Josuke. Josuke Higashikata. I don't think I've seen you around Morioh before."

"I just moved in today," came the reply, brushing off a stray bit of dust. "I'm Rohan Kishibe's younger sibling."

The moment the name Kishibe left the air, Josuke’s entire demeanor shifted. His eyes widened, and he took a half-step back, a look of comical disbelief washing over his face.

"Wait. Kishibe? As in... Rohan Kishibe? The guy who wears designer clothes just to sit at a drawing desk...?"

A loud, genuine laugh broke through the tension. "Yup. That’s the tyrant. You know him?"

Josuke rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous, slightly guilty grin appearing on his face. "Uh... yeah. You could say we've had a few... heated disagreements. Man, I can't believe a nice person is related to that crazy mangaka."

"Hey, I can be plenty weird too," a playful retort shot back. "Anyway, I better get this ink back before Rohan starts eating his drawing paper out of sheer anxiety. It was really nice to meet you, Josuke."

"Likewise," Josuke said, his smile softening into something genuinely sweet as he watched the departure. "See you around!"

...

Morioh was a small town, paths crossed constantly. A few days after the initial meeting, a quiet afternoon sketching at a local outdoor cafe was interrupted by a loud voice booming across the patio.

"OI! JOSUKE! Look, it’s that cool person you keep talking about!"

Looking up, Josuke was walking over, looking incredibly flushed, accompanied by a guy with two distinctive scars running down his face and a fiercely enthusiastic expression.

"Okuyasu, shut up!" Josuke hissed, elbowing his friend in the ribs hard enough to make him wheeze. He turned around, instantly smoothing down his jacket. "Hey! Mind if we sit down?"

"Not at all," a smile welcomed them, closing the sketchbook.

That afternoon turned into the first of many. Josuke and Okuyasu were a package deal, and the dynamic was incredibly refreshing. Okuyasu was loud, and had a heart of gold.

"Wait, wait, wait," Okuyasu sputtered one day, his mouth full of a spicy pasta dish from Chef Tonio's restaurant. He swallowed hard, tears of pure joy streaming down his face from how good the food was. "How do you have a degree already. Bro, I'm barely surviving my classes! How do you even do that?!"

"Lots of studying, and a complete lack of a social life," a laugh answered, taking a sip of iced tea.

"Man, that's insane," Okuyasu said, looking over with utter reverence. Then, he leaned over the table, entirely lacking any concept of a whisper, and nudged Josuke. "Hey Josuke. They're a genius. And super nice. Why are they hanging out with a couple of dorks like us? You better shoot your shot."

"OKUYASU! I WILL BURY YOU!" Josuke yelled, his face turning an aggressive shade of crimson. He looked over frantically. "Don't listen to him! He took a blow to the head during a Stand battle last week and hasn't been the same since!"

A chuckle followed the outburst. "It's fine, Josuke. I actually really like hanging out with you guys.."

Josuke’s eyes softened, a gentle, protective look taking over his features. "Well... we're glad to have you around. Morioh’s a lot brighter lately."

As the weeks bled into a month, the trio became inseparable. But gradually, the dynamic shifted. Okuyasu, bless his soul, realized he was pulling Olympic level third wheel duty. He started conveniently "remembering chores" or "having to help his dad" whenever a walk down the street happened, leaving the two young adults alone.

And without the noise of Okuyasu's loud commentary, a quiet, electric tension began to grow between two people who were once complete strangers.

....

The afternoon had been spent helping Josuke detail his favorite car, and he had insisted on walking all the way back to the Kishibe estate.

The sun was setting, painting the Morioh sky in deep shades of violet and brilliant orange. Sitting side-by-side on the wooden porch, the house upstairs was completely silent. Rohan had been awake for three straight days finishing a massive story arc, and he had finally crashed into a deep, comatose-like sleep.

Josuke was unusually quiet. He kept tracing the gold peace sign on his collar, his usual cool, confident demeanor replaced by an adorable, restless nervousness.

"Hey" he finally spoke up, his voice lower and softer than usual.

"Yeah, Josuke?" Turning to look at him, the twilight caught the sharp angles of his jawline.

"I've been thinking a lot lately," he started, rubbing the back of his neck. "About when we first met. When I ran into you and almost smashed all that ink. I thought you were just gonna curse me out or call me a punk like most people do. But you didn't. You laughed."

A steady, heavy rhythm started hammering away in the chest.

"And the more I hang out with you, the more I realize I've never met anyone like you," he continued, turning his body to face the porch fully.

He reached out, his large warm hand gently covering the one resting on the wooden deck. His eyes were incredibly intense, filled with an earnest, vulnerable emotion. "You're brilliant, you're funny, and you're the best part of my day. I don't want to just be the guy who walks you home anymore. I want to be your boyfriend. If... if you'll have me."

A massive, radiant smile broke across the face. "Josuke, I've been waiting for you to say that for three weeks. Of course I want you to be my boyfriend."

Josuke’s eyes lit up with absolute, pure joy. He let out a breathless, relieved laugh. "Yeah? Seriously? Man, you have no idea how scared I was-"

"Shut up and kiss me, Higashikata," a soft tease cut him off.

He grinned, leaning in. His hand moved to gently cup a cheek, his thumb brushing against skin. Eyes closed, leaning closer, lips just millimeters apart, feeling the warmth of his breath

The front door slowly clicked open behind you.

You and Josuke froze blinking, and slowly turned your heads. Standing in the doorway was Rohan. He was holding a freshly poured cup of green tea, wearing his silk bathrobe, looking completely exhausted from his drawing marathon.

He took one long look at Josuke’s hand on your face. He looked at your leaned-in posture. He looked back at Josuke's towering pompadour.

Time stood still. For a solid ten seconds, nobody moved. The only sound was a cricket chirping somewhere in the bushes.

Slowly the color slowly drained from his face until he was a ghostly shade of pale. His left eye developed a tiny, uncontrollable twitch.

"Rohan?" you ventured cautiously. "We can explain-"

Rohan didn't even let you finish. He slowly looked down at his cup of green tea, looked back up at the two of you, and let out a flat, entirely soulless laugh.

"Ah. I see," Rohan said, his voice completely monotone and devoid of all human emotion. "The sleep deprivation has finally caused a permanent psychotic break. I am hallucinating a reality where my highly educated, brilliantly talented younger sibling is romantically involved with a man whose hairstyle resembles a poorly rendered piece of steak... The human mind truly fractures in creative ways."

"Hey! It's not a hallucination, and leave my hair out of this!" Josuke barked, though he looked more confused than angry at Rohan's bizarre lack of yelling.

Rohan entirely ignored him, staring blankly into the middle distance. "I am going to go back upstairs. I am going to lie down. And when I wake up, reality will have corrected itself."

With the stiff, mechanical movements of a haunted Victorian doll, Rohan turned around, stepped back into the house, and quietly shut the door. A second later, you heard the faint sound of him locking himself in his studio.

Josuke blinked, turning back to you. "Did... did he just completely shut down?"

you laughed, rubbing your temples. "He's in absolute denial. But hey... where were we?"

Josuke grinned, the tension breaking instantly as he pulled you back close. "Right here."

....

Whenever Josuke came over, Rohan would simply look right through him as if he were a ghost, politely asking you why the "temperature in the living room had suddenly dropped." Eventually, he had to accept reality when Josuke literally helped him move a massive, heavy oak flat-file cabinet into his studio. Rohan had sniffed, handed Josuke a single, incredibly expensive fountain pen, and muttered, "Don't think this means I like your style, Higashikata."

Years flew by, like pages turning in a beautifully illustrated manga. The stranger you ran into on a random Tuesday afternoon became the love of your life.

On a bright, gorgeous summer day, you and Josuke stood at the altar. The wedding was a magnificent. Okuyasu was the best man, and he cried so loudly during the vows that the priest had to pause twice so he could blow his nose.

Rohan sat in the very front row. He wore a pristine, custom tailored white suit, his arms crossed. When it came time for the wedding gifts, Rohan marched up and slammed a massive, heavy, leather-bound book onto the table.

"It's a custom short story manga of your life," Rohan sniffed haughtily, looking at you before glaring at Josuke. "Consider it compensation for having to marry into a family with no artistic value."

Josuke opened the manga, and a loud laugh busted out of him. You leaned over to look. Rohan had beautifully, flawlessly drawn your entire love story but in every single panel, Josuke's hair was meticulously drawn as a literal, perfectly marbled T-bone steak, complete with a little bone sticking out of the top.

"Hey, this is actually really well drawn!" Josuke laughed, shaking his head. "Thanks, Rohan. I know you love me deep down."

"I would rather swallow my own pen nibs," Rohan shot back, turning on his heel and walking away, though you could see the faint, proud smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

[satoshi-mochida]

Ecco the Dolphin: Complete announced - Gematsu

A&R Atelier has announced Ecco the Dolphin: Complete, a remaster collection including all versions of Ecco the Dolphin and Ecco: The Tides of Time, as well as a new Ecco game that “extends the journey into the modern era.” Platforms and a release date were not announced.

Here is an overview of the game, via A&R Atelier:

About

Ecco the Dolphin: Complete is a comprehensive new package that takes players on a journey through time and through the history of one of gaming’s most iconic franchises. In Ecco the Dolphin: Complete, Ecco swims through time itself, from the 8-bit Master System era through the 16-bit Genesis / Mega Drive generation and into a brand-new contemporary game built for the modern era. This is the complete, definitive Ecco the Dolphin experience, created by the people who made the originals. A remaster done as it should be.

Early Preview Access and Community

Ecco the Dolphin invites you for the Earth Day celebration at the official website. To participate in early access, preview Ecco content, and connect directly with the development team, visit the official website—the singular source of information and access to the team building the future of Ecco the Dolphin.

Made by the People Who Made Ecco

Ecco the Dolphin: Complete is built by original members of the Ecco development team, reunited after more than 30 years, and includes original creator Ed Annunziata along with members of the original composition, art, and programming teams. No one else can make this game. The people who created Ecco‘s world, its music, its atmosphere, and its mysteries are the ones bringing it forward. This is not an outside studio’s interpretation. This is Ecco as it was always meant to be—realized by the minds that dreamed it into existence.

Every Version. Every Era. Every Ocean.

The package includes all versions of Ecco the Dolphin and Ecco: The Tides of Time, the original, immutable games from the early ’90s, preserved and freely explorable. Alongside the classics, a brand-new contemporary Ecco game extends the journey into the modern era, weaving the history of the franchise together into a single, unified experience.

Built for Players, Streamers, and Speedrunners

Ecco the Dolphin: Complete features built-in speedrunning support, achievements, and leaderboards. Meta quests span across the original games and the new contemporary title, creating challenges that thread through the entire Ecco universe. Custom courses let players and creators chart their own path through any combination of levels from any game in the franchise and share them with the community.

[miyeyu]

hi I spent 32 hours making a comic about an emotionally challenged robot

Or, how I made THE WEAKPOINT CALLED TRUST! (obligatory "a comic based on an ULTRAKILL fanfic 'the 21 grams experiment' by @kivaember") (warning this post is VERY LONG, you have been warned)

Sometimes a fic tickles my brain in a certain way, and a vision sparks to life - some authors, like kiva, are very good at doing this. It tends to correlate with good writing, but not predictably so...

You see, I have a Prime Directive. A Higher Calling. A Dharma, a Purpose. And that purpose is to MAKE ART.

I was never formally trained, nor do I follow any specific guide... I'm not professional and I'm just winging it 80% of the time, but here's how it happened!

Break down the story into pages. Each page should introduce a new idea (e.g. "this character is attempting something but failing") and advance the story.

Make a thumbnail storyboard to work out paneling and composition.

To the art program! Now do THE ART.

It's now 2 AM. whoop

But even with all this planning, I don't always stick to the script. Looking at the storyboard, you might be thinking, "Hey wait, this outline only has 8 pages! Where did the 9th come from?"

I... I came up with it on the spot. Making comics is, almost ALL of the time, an unsteady flight for me - I almost never know what a page is gonna look like before it's finished. Check out this speedpaint and how much I waffled over the composition before actually starting the page...

Why I Spent 32 Hours Making a Comic About an Emotionally Challenged Robot

Other than because "the 21 grams experiment" is a really, really, really good fic (and I hear making fanart for writers gives them motivation to write heheh *rubs hands together evilly*), other than because ULTRAKILL is a fascinating game with thought-provoking lore, other than because the Prime Directive demanded it of me...

I wanted to study color painting. I love art, I think. I love making art. I mean, I don't know if I love it in the way people seem to use the word "love"... but it's fun and I've been doing it for almost a decade now. So I guess you could say I love art.

And I read a LOT of comics, so I have a LOT of reference material. My main desire was to make a comic in the style of friedri-ce's gorgeous comics (textured rendering, vibrant color, abstract backgrounds, large panels), but works like Fragments and Ava's Demon are also hugely influential on my art because of their lush, dazzling, sexy color. I think studying from your favorite artists who are better than you is a good way to improve!

I mean, just look at this. Gosh. If I could make something as cool as this someday, that would be just... gosh.

Post by @tinypaint · 1 image

💬 0  🔁 571  ❤️ 2506 ·  No one can replace you from my comic

an xiv blog

✧✦✧ "Fragments" - episode 69 ✧✦✧ Nice. New reader? episode list on tumblr | webtoon Read 4 more episodes: patreon | kofi

Of course, I don't pretend to, nor do I want to, imitate any style so closely as to make it look like the original artist did it. I have my own personal preferences, and an artist might not be happy with you making art in their style (luckily for me, friedri-ce has stated that they are ok with others painting in their style).

Adapting Fic to Comic

What I love about comics is that you can interpret (emphasis on interpret) the fic's emotions through art! 21ge's story, and ULTRAKILL in general, makes me feel a lot of things that are difficult to put in words, so I express it through art instead.

For example, the 3 main characters get a color that represents them and their associated emotions. When their colors dominate the page, their presence is strong:

V1 gets dark blue, the color of rationality, cold logic, and business. It feels most secure in the safety of its known world - painted in shades of blue, or a blue so dark it's almost black and white.

Gabriel gets yellow/gold, the color of sunlight and, well, gold - it mainly represents his kindness. His colors tend to warm and brighten V1's hues, illuminating the world around him.

V2 gets red, the color of powerful emotion (at least, compared to V1), danger, and blood. Its color poisons and deadens Gabriel's colors on its sole page.

Together, all the colors represent the full spectrum of human emotion, dazzling and glittering with light.

I might even be able to remove all the text and you'd probably still be able to tell how V1 really feels, deep down. Why does V1 say the things it does? What is it feeling, despite its cool exterior and blank face?

Lonely, afraid, overwhelmed, defeated?

It lacks understanding of Gabriel, which is why he is never fully depicted except in combat - he's turned away, or in the darkness, or on a stained-glass window, or off-screen. It lacks control of Gabriel, which is why the light scatters when V1 tries to touch it in pg8. Often, V1 says the opposite of what the art is saying because this story is about how conflicted and in denial it is, how little it knows itself.

A picture can say a thousand words, and the combination of word and image can say even more. That's how 2 simple words can say so many things left unspoken, about both Gabriel and V1.

But space comes at a premium in comics, and I had to trim so much from the original text. If you compare them, you'll notice most of the changes are cuts, paraphrasing, and transition sentences... But I felt really bad chopping up kivaember's writing. They write such good dialogue, it felt like sacrilege... I still feel guilty about it...

A-anyways, a character will "speak" differently when their thoughts are being told to you in 3rd-person vs when their thoughts are directly written in a comic caption, which is why many of the changes were made... this is where adaptation gets much more subjective, because a comic is not the same as copy/pasting a fic onto some art.

Conclusion

Total time spent drawing: 32 hrs, about 3.5 per page.

The longest page (6): 6hrs, 37min. This is the page that got split into 2 to create the splash page.

The shortest (7): 1hr, 45 min. This is the extra page added.

Making (painted color) comics in this style is loads of fun, but I won't pretend that it isn't incredibly mentally taxing for me. It demands that you perform so many skills (because art requires many) over and over, multiple times per page, multiple pages per comic. It means that you learn so much - and that it's an all-consuming experience.

Perspective, contrast, composition, anatomy, the mechanics of light, color... You could spend a lifetime perfecting just one of these things.

My comic is riddled with mistakes. V1 and Gabriel are incredibly off-model, and different every time I draw them. There's a typo. I messed up my color profile a couple times.

But that's ok. I didn't focus on getting every single one of these aspects right. What I wanted to make was an artwork painted in rich and emotional color, whose story moved others the way 21ge moved me. (Judging by some of the hilarious tags I've gotten and the cool people I've met, I think I did that for quite a few!)

I make art because I have a vision in my head and I want to show others something they've never seen before, make them feel things that only I can show them!

To send you off, in lieu of saying goodbye I'll just put this extremely accurate footage of me charging up my laser to nuke kivaember with art WAHAHAHA 👇

If you read all this to the end - may your woes be few and your days many!

[garadinervi]

Pauline Oliveros, To Valerie Solanas and Marilyn Monroe in Recognition of Their Desperation, (Vinyl/LP), ROAR21, Roaratorio, 2011

To Valerie Solanas and Marilyn Monroe in Recognition of Their Desperation: for any group or groups of instrumentalists (6 to large orchestra), Smith Publications, ca. 1977

Valerie Solanas 1936-1988 The Demale Society Manhattan SCUM Chapter Member #013666 since December 1966 Founder of the Society for Cutting Up Men Author of SCUM Manifesto Playwright of Up Your Ass

Marilyn Monroe 1926-1962 Movie actress Born Norma Jean[e] Mortenson Lived as an orphan and as a foster child until age 16 Nominated for the 1956 British Academy Award for "Best Foreign Actress" in The Seven Year Itch

«The players are distributed widely within a space, in groupings, each with its own conductor. The piece (in this performance) lasts 30 minutes, trisected into 3 ten-minute sections delineated in sequence by red light, yellow light, blue light. Before the piece begins, each player chooses five pitches. During the red section, players begin exploring one of their chosen pitches. At about the 7 minute mark, a white light flashes, after which the players gradually incorporate pitches 2, 3, 4 and 5. In the yellow section, players are invited to steal pitches from other players. Blue light signals cessation of stealing. At about the 23rd minute, another white flash signals gradual return to one pitch. The piece is meditative in nature. Its title is not descriptive but dedicatory.» ― from the concert program of the 1977 performance

«Shortly after it was published in 1968 the SCUM Manifesto by Valerie Solanas fell into my hands. Intrigued by the egalitarian feminist principles set forth in the Manifesto, I wanted to incorporate them in the structure of a new piece that I was composing. The women's movement was surfacing and I felt the need to express my resonance with this energy. Marilyn Monroe had taken her own life. Valerie Solanas had attempted to take the life of Andy Warhol. Both women seemed to be desperate and caught in the traps of inequality: Monroe needed to be recognized for her talent as an actress. Solanas wished to be supported for her own creative work. Commissioned by the Music Department of Hope College, Holland Michigan, To Valerie Solanas and Marilyn Monroe in Recognition of Their Desperation had its premiere in 1970. Though everyone knew Marilyn Monroe hardly anyone recognized Valerie Solanas or took her Manifesto seriously. I brought the names of these two women together in the title of the piece to draw attention to their inequality and to dedicate the piece. In the score all players have a non-hierarchical role. The parts for the piece are the same for each player and within the given guidelines each individual interprets their part differently. If any player starts to dominate the musical texture, the community that is created by the piece absorbs the outstanding sounds back into the collective. To recognize this composition as a feminist piece it would be necessary to read the SCUM Manifesto and to study the player's parts.» ― Pauline Oliveros, October 2010

October 6, 1970 – Wichers Hall, Hope College, Hope, Michigan Buchla Electronic Music System: Pauline Oliveros, Jan Siderius Flute: Pamela Ryker, Susan Bos, Mary Rockwood Organ: Roger Davis Strings: Harrison Ryker, Roger White, Suzanne De Vries, Joseph Filonowicz, Robert Ritsema, Glenn Stuart Jr.

April 7, 1977 – Crowell Concert Hall, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut Conductors: Nathan Shimabuku, Teddy Klaus, Tom Hilton, David Claman, Eric Ranvig Violin: Anna Barron, Pam Chapperon, James DeCaprio, Leslie Greengard, Margaret Holtzberg, Claudia Lewis, Georgia Mook, Fran Pepperman, Susan Rappaport, Pam Schwartz, Mark Sicbin Viola: Jane Kurz, Monica McCarthy, Guitele Nicoleau. Flute: Marcia Finger, Sharon Avrutick Oboe: Ruth Rotholz, Barbara Johnston Clarinet: Tom Moran, Anne Wilson Bassoon: Chuck Agosta, David Hiscox Cello: Eliot Bailen, Wendy Breuninger, Julie Burstein, Tom Loder Bass: Sarah Kendall Horn: David Engstrom, Ruth Axelrod, Bill Rowe Trumpet: Jon Mink, Robert Blumenschine Trombone: Rich Brown Percussion: Skip Lombardi Electronics: Ron Kuivila, Tom Miller, Gary Grimaldi, Nancy Rosenberg, Kathy Bergeron, Greg Shatan, Fred Briccetti, Julie Burstein, Nathan Shimabuku

Artwork: Judith Lindbloom Produced by Pauline Oliveros and James Lindbloom

Plus: Golden Offence Orchestra, Ode to Pauline Oliveros: To Valerie Solanas and Marilyn Monroe in recognition to their desperation, Composed by Pauline Oliveros, Adaptation by Golden Offence Orchestra, Recorded by Mats Erlandsson, David Granström and Maria W Horn in Stockholm, 2013. XKatedral, August 23, 2017