The Creation of Severance

One of the biggest TV shows of the year was conceived while its screenwriter, working an uninspiring corporate job, wished that there was some way for his body to complete a workday without his mind being present to experience it. That idea, a procedure that splits a person's brain into their in- and out-of-office selves, is the basis of Severance. After his initial thought, screenwriter Dan Erickson realized that there germ of a story in his wish and began to flesh out his idea, wondering how that type of technology could be be abused and what it would mean for the person who experienced the procedure. 

 

The Severance script was picked up by Apple TV and Erickson combined forces with executive producer Ben Stiller, production designer Jeremy Hindle, and the rest of the creative team. Erickson describes how combining forces with them changed and improved the show's final form. Stiller's influence brought the show a more "grounded," "human-centered" feel, which is an essential counterpart to its intrigue-filled plot. One of the show's great strengths is that amid a psyc
hological thriller show, each character is flushed out and their inner worlds intimately explored, which Erickson credits partially to his collaboration with Stiller. 

Erickson's experience of feeling stuck and stagnant at his office job and channeling those feelings into a life-changing creative product is mirrored in the story of Nick Cave. Cave writes that his album Ghosteen was heavily influenced by his grief after the death of his son. His life was "infused" with loss and he channeled his reality into a groundbreaking creative project. Similarly, Dan Erickson channeled his sense of desperation to separate himself from his work into a truly amazing series.

 

Alice Oseman: Coloring Outside the Lines

Alice Oseman (she/they) is a 30 year-old queer author and illustrator. If you’re into YA fiction or feel-good stories that just make you smile, you’ve probably heard of Alice’s works. They have written the best-selling graphic novel Heartstopper and acted as writer, creator, and executive producer on Netflix’s on-screen adaptation of the series! In this “boy-meets-boy” coming-of-age narrative, Alice brings readers/viewers into the world of LGBTQ+ youth as they grapple with themselves, their feelings, and their changing relationships with each other. The low-stakes environment of the story—as she describes it—is relatively free from drama to create a real, bright, and moving portrayal of love. 

“Don’t let anyone make you disappear . . .” (Heartstopper)

Alice’s creativity is heavily intertwined with culture. They have shared that they grew up in a culture that encouraged creativity and storytelling. Because of this culture, Alice was able to use their creative outlets of writing and illustrating to help them navigate their own personal struggles of individuality (Harris np). These personal struggles would serve as a guiding light in Alice’s later career. In her novels, Alice creates a new culture for readers: a safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals, especially youth. By including a variety of love stories in their works, romantic and platonic alike (Harper Collins), Alice pushes back against compulsory sexuality/heterosexuality. For example, she reflects her own identity and journey as an aromantic asexual in the characters of Isaac and Torie in their respective books, Heartstopper and Solitaire. This motivation of deviation from social norms can help readers/viewers feel validated in their identity as they (1) feel represented in mainstream media and (2) feel supported in their experience of self-discovery.

        In reference to her relationship with her father, Martin Doudna, Jennifer Doudna recounts that “sometimes an intellectual bond is the strongest” (Isaacson 59). She emphasizes that the important relationships in life can be found in intellect and creativity, apart from love and affection. By being creative, we can create important bonds with those around us based on how we are similar in our appreciation of creative products. We can, then, use these bonds to enhance creativity through collaboration. As mentioned earlier, Alice’s creativity in their works allow readers/viewers to relate to the characters and find safety in their stories. Through this relatability, we can also find a secure connection in Alice, and they have spoken about this being a motivating factor in their creative process. Alice has also spoken about the influence of online fan communities in her success—an influence that borders on collaboration! For example, fans’ enthusiasm about Heartstopper significantly contributed to the transformation of this narrative into a series (Harper Collins); Because Alice created an inspirational culture of connection in which people feel safe and comfortable, they were able to expand their creativity onto the screen!

 

“One person can change everything. And you have changed everything for me.” (Solitaire)

Neuro-sama and Vedal: Changing the Landscape of Livestreaming

Neuro-sama, an AI vtuber

        In 2019, a programmer known on the internet mononymously as Vedal trained a neural network on the rhythm game osu! and deployed it under the moniker Neuro-sama. This AI became skilled enough at the game that it was able to beat several profession players. This drew the attention of osu! fans and many others toward Neuro-sama and her creator. 

        Three years after this acclaim, Vedal reintroduced Neuro-sama as a chatbot vtuber. Now, she hosts live streams on Twitch, where fans tune in to watch her play video games and banter with them live. This iteration, for which she is most well known, can be described as a bunch of AI in a trench coat. Vedal developed a large language model (a la ChatGPT) that reads messages from viewers and incorporates a text-to-speech algorithm that allows her to speak the responses she generates. Another AI operates a Live2D model--and anime-esque avatar that moves and emotes in concert with her speech. On top of all this, Vedal repurposed the AI that he trained on osu! and re-trained it on a several other popular games, e.g., Minecraft.

        All of this gives the impression of a real person playing games and interacting with viewers in the same way any other Twitch channel might. However, this is only an impression. One of the biggest draws of Neruo-sama is that she is not a real person. This leads her to say things that a real person would not, often to great comedic effect. 

Neuro-sama with her creator, Vedal, who often appears with a turtle avatar

        We talked in class on Wednesday about artificial creativity. I agree with the general concensus that AI in its current iteration lacks the capacity for creativity. I would not venture to suggest that Neuro-sama herself is engaged in the creative process, but Vedal certainly is. It takes an immense amount of creativity to be able to construct all of the moving parts that comprise Neuro-sama and combine them to essentially create an living character. Vedal often joins the live stream to discuss updates on Neuro-sama and demo new features. These moments demonstrate the complexity of the neural networks and the code that maintains them, which is nothing short of stupefying. These demo streams also show that Vedal has a deep knowledge of how to interact with the Neuro-sama large language model, and their banter borders on slapstick.

        With every Neuro-sama iteration, Vedal shows his ability to marry the decidedly disconnected realms of artificial intelligence and entertainment in highly innovative ways. While Neuro-sama may not be creative herself, her existence is emblematic of human creativity.

Kirin J Callinan’s Return to Center: How to “Let It Be”

Kirin J. Callinan

Kirin J. Callinan is an Australian singer-songwriter. The genre of his music is wide ranging, including pop, electronic, experimental hard rock, dance-country, and many more types in between. Callinan is a musical chameleon who often completely switches genres from album to album –or from song to song within an album– and has been a figure in the Australian music scene for almost a decade. Like many musicians, Callinan focuses his projects with specific ideas or concepts. However, unlike those other musicians, Callinan can take this focus to an usually extreme level.

Such is the case for Callinan’s 2019 album, Return to Center. The album is a cover album where Callinan recreates tracks from other artists that are some of his most beloved. The name of the album reflects the challenge which Callinan gave himself when he made it. He would rent all of the equipment he needed to record the music and lyrics for the album from Guitar Center, complete the album entirely, and then return the equipment –all within Guitar Center’s fourteen day purchase return and refund window. Callinan did just that, the album was completed within the two week window and he effectively spent no money to do it. 

Though initially the idea of a cover album sounds inherently less creative than creating original music, Callinan’s use of the Guitar Center constraint showcases his creativity. The covers themselves are wildly different from the original versions and are infused with Callinan’s personality and musical flair.

Callinan’s journey in creating Return to Center exemplifies Rick Rubin’s support for knowing when to allow a creative work to be finished and to do no more work on it. In the chapter “Let It Be” in his book The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rubin argues that –in certain circumstances– it is appropriate for an artist to use the first version, or a very early version, of their work as the final version, because it “may hold extraordinary magic” (Rubin 223). Since Callinan gave himself such a short time to complete the album, he had to exercise his creative judgment when deciding whether or not a song was finished. According to Callinan himself, he ended up working on “‘a song a day in order to get [the album] done’” (Moen). 

Sources:

https://www.papermag.com/kirin-j-callinan#rebelltitem4

https://open.spotify.com/album/353mCwcd4qjAKPxg9YQIYz

https://genius.com/albums/Kirin-j-callinan/Return-to-center

Images:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefader.com%2F2017%2F06%2F06%2Fkirin-j-callinan-bravado-interview-living-each-day-musicivideo&psig=AOvVaw3foHin6k6Hrl84srctxfW0&ust=1743808244122000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCLDp0az-vIwDFQAAAAAdAAAAABA1

Suzzane Collins: The Architect of Dystopian Dreams

 

We all know and love Suzanne Collin’s work. From the original Hunger Games trilogy published in 2008 to her most recent prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, she has stood the test of time as one of the most well-known authors in young adult fiction. She is a critically acclaimed author and the executive producer and co-writer in the screen adaptions of the Hunger Games trilogy and her newest movie, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. 

Suzanne Collins first began writing in 1991 when she worked on a Nickelodeon series called “Clarissa Explains It All.” From there, she was encouraged to start writing books by a fellow author, James Priomos. The inspiration for The Hunger Games sparked when Collins switched her television between reality TV and news about the Iraq War. After that, she ran with that idea until she developed what we now know as The Hunger Games.

Collins attributes her creative process to a simple routine focusing on writing with minimal distractions. She believes in writing about the things you know and love and leaning on the things familiar to you. Along with her simplistic writing process, she also likes to draw inspiration from real-world events and often visits local museums and historical sites. When adapting her work into a movie, she takes meticulous care in focusing on the book and translating the words into images on the screen. A big reason why her films were so successful is because she works firsthand with the production company to ensure that her work is the most authentic it can be. 

Overall, she continues to be a timeless writer who also comes up with new and innovative ideas. She has been able to build this vast and complex dystopian world that still resonates with children and young adults. She has built a loyal fanbase that has followed her journey from the first Hunger Games book to her prequels, which she is still releasing. I cannot wait to watch where she takes us in the future of Panem.

San Fermin: Crisis in Music

 San Fermin, described as a baroque-pop band, is a Brooklyn-based group known primarily for their first two albums, the eponymous San Fermin, and Belong. The band is a great example of the inspiration that creatives can find in times of struggle. Their bandleader, Ellis Ludwig-Leone, spearheaded the original album with the plan to record a one-off, large-scale collaborative collection of pieces. Recorded with 22 different artists and collaborators, the album features sweeping horn sections, impressive vocals, and a style that I couldn't even try to classify. 

After the takeoff of their first album, and the song Sonsick, they continued the project, dropping collaborators with each album and changing lead vocalists consistently. Currently, San Fermin has eight members, less than half of their original recordings. Though this might seem like a crushing difference, they have molded their style into something new with the change in personnel. I thought this group was a great example of how the collaborators on a piece or activity can drive their style. Their style has greatly changed, becoming a smaller-scale, quieter version of their original tunes.

This switch has not been well-received by listeners who enjoyed the likes of Crueler Kind and Bride, two of their popular songs, but I think it is an important lesson in how your music matures as you grow. While their first albums may have been exciting and intense, their move to slower, more acoustic pieces represents a maturation in their style and actually feels fitting for the band, considering the lyrics of their hit Sonsick. In it, Ellis confronts the struggles of getting older, settling down, and finding happiness in that change. 

In recent interviews, it seems like they have done just that, finding a method to better express themselves. Ellis mentions often that his pieces are inspired by the changes in his life, and anxieties he has about everyday life. I think this is a great example of how struggle can inspire creatives. 

Doudna's relationship with science feels this way - once she found a true passion and something which she could flourish in, it developed her skills and style differently than another dedication would. Similar to Doudna's inspiration from Darwin's natural science work, San Fermin is highly inspired by nature, and the natural sciences, with references in all of their albums to natural phenomena or the natural world. 

https://www.metradio.ca/interviews/interview-with-san-fermin/

https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/features/san-fermin-ellis-ludwigleone-interview-i-was-in-a-destructive-place-when-i-wrote-jackrabbit-a78526.html

https://bigtakeover.com/interviews/interview-ellis-ludwig-leone-san-fermin

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnelsonvillefest.org%2Fartist%2Fsan-fermin%2F&psig=AOvVaw2FrqYSbpmHonwSXt-TTqC9&ust=1743726009398000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCNDDzrbMuowDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapeconcerts.com%2Fevents%2Fsan-fermin-240504%2F&psig=AOvVaw2FrqYSbpmHonwSXt-TTqC9&ust=1743726009398000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCNDDzrbMuowDFQAAAAAdAAAAABA4

Introspection and Longing: Tokyo Tea Room’s Specialty in Music

     Tokyo Tea Room is a UK-based band formed in 2014 by a group of college students who quickly grew into the success they are today. The band consists of five members: Beth on vocals, Dan on guitar and background vocals, Ben on bass, Sam on drums, and Ryan. Each member plays an integral role in their dreamy, soothing sound. They identify with the genre of dream pop, which is categorized as a subgenre of alternative rock, characterized by key features such as breathy vocals, slow tempos, and introspective lyrics. Tokyo Team Room is often placed in similar categories with other popular bands such as Men I Trust or Rosemary Fairweather. They describe their own sound as “quite dreamy, glassy sounding with hints of pop” (https://whenthehornblows.com/content/2020/5/2/in-conversation-with-tokyo-tea-room).     

 

    Dan does much of the songwriting for the group, and in terms of the creative process, he does not take writing too seriously. He mentions in an article about how writing is often a product of having fun. This does have a slightly ironic tone since most of the lyrics found in Tokyo Tea Room’s songs are ones of longing and transience. With their newest album, No Rush, Dan mentions how it feels that every time they start a new album, it is like going back to the drawing board and constantly wanting to learn and cycle to be better. I personally loved this album because of the hazy guitar and how it almost sounds out of this world.   

The debut song, “No Rush”, is very serene with more emphasis on the vocals while the sound in the background flushes in and out. It reflects themes of patience and waiting for someone, along with the gratification of finally being able to reconnect. This parallels their next song on the album, “If You Love Her.” This song is much faster-paced and speaks about the anxieties of falling in love. The guitar cuts through the song and gives the song a spacey vibe, which makes it feel like you are daydreaming while listening to the song. The first time I listened, I got chills because of the instrumentation and their artful articulation of such a common feeling.   

My personal favorite work of theirs is “Forever Out of Time.” Throughout the song, you can feel the vocalist's passion through the introspective lyrics along with the astral guitar sounds. The lyrics reflect those of trying to move on and getting stuck in nostalgia. As I am getting older, I begin to understand why a lot of my older family members and friends are so nostalgic and ruminate on memories. They want to keep those feelings close and relive good times in their life. This song perfectly captures those feelings while also displaying the harm in it as well; you will never grow if you are unable to move forward.   

 

On the surface, it may not seem like The Code Breakers by Walter Isaacson and Tokyo Tea Room have a lot in common. However, one of the main messages behind many of Tokyo Tea Room’s songs is that of being patient and taking it slow, no matter how hectic the environment surrounding you is. Being in college, we often forget to take things a day at a time while trying to secure jobs or internships, studying for exams, etc. We are constantly looking ahead. The same can be said for science; there is such a high drive for innovation and excellence. However, major breakthroughs took time, and even though it was a race of CRISPR and gene editing, it did not happen immediately. It was years of trial and error before significant breakthroughs were made.   

  

 

 

 

https://www.famemagazine.co.uk/interview-with-tokyo-tea-room/ 

https://whenthehornblows.com/content/2020/5/2/in-conversation-with-tokyo-tea-room 

https://www.imposemagazine.com/bytes/new-music/tokyo-tea-room-interview 

https://www.creativefolkestone.org.uk/whats-on/tokyo-tea-room-and-special-guests/