Good God. I have a feeling that I'm going to get annihilated.

Good show, guys!

Yeah, I'm definitely nervous.

My knee jerk reaction was to come back with a, "Yeah, well, you SHOULD be - FOOL," but, seriously, the turnout of that first round seriously has me rattled. :o

Note to future contestants.... Don't cast dead actors. It doesn't go over well with the judges.

I'm confident that if I got my info (actors around at the time etc.) I could present it well, but I'm not half as knowledgable in horror as most folk around here so I reckon I'm pretty doomed. DOOOOOOOOOMED!

THE SECOND TEST OF HDC IDOL 2008-09


I am here to address the Goblins. Each one of you is given a task which you have to perform to the best of your ability, wit and innovation, based upon the knowledge you have of the genre.

For the second Test, the common theme chosen is - ALTERNATIVE REALITY.


Here are your tasks, Goblins :-

- Alkytrio666 : Visual media is non-existent. The only popular medium which people use to get entertained is the radio. You are in charge of a local horror radio station and desperately need listeners to tune into your broadcasts. What can you possibly do to get people tuned into your station's wavelengths and make it a popular one?

- ChronoGrl : Several critically-acclaimed flicks have failed miserably at the BO - Night of the Living Dead, The Exorcist, Jaws etc. all have been flushed down the toilets. For some reason, the audiences arent willing to accept any of those horror flicks. You are a talented and eccentric filmmaker who is hellbent on making the audiences turn towards horror. What ideas can you use to conquer such hard-headed audiences of the world?

- FerretChucker : The world in which you have grown up is one without sound. People get their share of entertainment by silent, fast-moving pictures projected by huge projectors in theaters. As a horror picture-maker, you have a really awesome idea which you foresee as a potential world-wide phenomenon in horror silents. What would be your pitch to big studios, and how would you go ahead with making it?

- Fortunato : You are the casting director of one of the most ambitious horror projects ever dreamed - Aliens. James Cameron gives you full backing, but there's a glitch : Sigourney Weaver has moved on to other projects and is NOT returning back. You go ahead and contact some Cameron favorites - Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Carrie Henn, etc. but are repeatedly turned down by all of them. Given the same plotline as the original, who would be your casting choices for all those characters in it?

- X¤Murderdoll¤X : You are in a reality where people love only vampire movies in the genre. Every other sub-genre flicks flop totally at the BO. Given the audiences' collective taste of vampires and more vampires, every known idea from literature and the medias have been exhausted. The top studios want you to make yet another vampire money-spinner. Do you have a fresh idea for a vampire flick to make a mark in the oversaturated audiences' minds?

- The Flayed One : Dario Argento has just contacted you, a musician and a composer, to do the music for Suspiria. A major point to note - Goblin doesnt exist. Which soundtracks/songs can you possibly use to impress Argento, and for the overall composition of the entire movie...and make the movie click with all gialli lovers?

- Vodstok : 1950s. After 3 continuous years of creature/monster movies which have failed to impress the audiences of the world, Universal is looking for fresh ideas and innovative filmmakers. They feel more justified in doing so when Invasion of the Body Snatchers releases to much critical reviews and flops at the BO. Can you make the audiences turn back to horror with a novel script for Universal? Who would you insist upon making your script into a movie for them?


All of you have 48 hours to do your researches, write down your ideas, and pitch them in front of the Judges. The Judges will be your peers in each scenario, and if you manage to win them over, you stand to score the maximum. When you are ready, send me a PM or post your entry in this thread (WITHOUT EDITING), and the Judges will read em and post their criticisms and praise, if any.

If any of you dont post your entry within the next 48 hours, you stand DQed off this Test, and dont gain any scores (or favors) from your Judges!

You have a hard task ahead of you, so all the best!!

Couple of questions here before I dive into this...

OK. Jaws and Exorcist did not fail at the BO. This is my alternate reality. That "etc." is incredibly vague - Should I assume that all top-ranking horror films have tanked in this bizarro world? (I am Legend, The Sixth Sense) If so, what is the measure for success in horror? (Or maybe that's the nature of my challenge - Duh)

Should I assume that I'm in present day (now) when coming up with these ideas?

Also - Is the task to come up with a single treatment/pitch for the NEXT BIG THING or a series of ideas that will hopefully stimulate the movie business?

Sorry - I'm probably over-thinking this.

I didnt put in any time-periods because I thought the theme and the tasks carried an ample number of hints. But to clarify it some more :-

Picture yourself as a young Kubrick or Polanski. In an alternate timeline where the big blockbusters of the 70s and 80s (the golden age of horror) have fizzed off the BO. You can put yourself in whichever shoes which make you feel the most comfortable - 70s, 80s, even today.

The idea here is to make horror flicks click with the audiences, and that is where the real challenge lies. It could be a single burst of brilliance, OR a series of bullseyes, either way.

To simplify the scenario - how do you sell shoes to people who walk around with naked feet? ;)

I have one thing to ask about mine.

Do you mean no sound at all in the world, or simply no sound when it comes to films and media?

Challenge answer: World Without Sound
 

Here goes.

Obviously the key point of this challenge is the fact that my world is without sound. Now, other than the fact that I will have to try to get the story across to the audiences without sound, there are several other problems this poses.

The first of these problems being that I must present the possible story to the studio. This will be especially difficult considering unlike the audiences, the executives have no moving pictures to aid them in understanding the story. To get around this, I would get together a group of friends who are artistically talented and ask them to help me create storyboards. With these simple images giving a rough idea of things, and a written outline of the story, I'm confident I would be able to get across my message to them, giving them a good enough idea of what the product should be like.

As for my story, there is another problem. As all Horror fans will know, the soundtrack is equally as important as the images, providing suspense more than anything. For this reason, I feel my film would have to be a very fast moving one, full of visually surprising and shocking elements.

Yet another problem to conquer is the characters, for without speech of some sort it will be next to impossible to give them real depth, with actions doing all the talking for them. Yes, actions do show a lot about a person but to get a good understanding of them in such a short time without sound would be very difficult. Because of this, I would try to make it full of actions and physical events. My story too would have to be quite simple, almost self explanatory.

The story itself would be something like this:

A solar eclipse causes a terrible event. After it happens, strange creatures begin climbing out of the ground and attacking people. The film would be the story of one town's attempt to survive against these creatures.

I would present my story to the studio as I said. To give you an idea of how this would go, I'll give you a brief extract of what the pitch may seem like.

I show a story board. The first few images are of ordinary people walking around. Then it shows a man and his son playing catch in the back garden. A dramatic solar eclipse happens. Afterwards, the child misses a catch. He goes to get the ball and as he does, a tentacle reaches out of the ground and grab his arm, and a serrated tube like thing reaches up to his face. This image would be a large, A2 size picture. The description would say something like:

"An unprecedented solar eclipse happens above a small town. A man and his son are playing catch and witness this phenomenon. The eclipse would be a dramatic, visually stunning image with shots of space thrown in. The son drops the ball and as he goes to retrieve it, a grotesque, slimy, terrifying part of a creature appears and brutally kills him.

The film, as I said, would be full of visual effects and visually shocking images of brutal killings, blood, flashing lights, fast moving scenes of pure action. There would be very few scenes without some action. This would be to keep the audience hooked. Also, a large part would be that without sound, nobody can help you if you are attacked, for they do not know unless they see it. This would hopefully make the audience relate to it and increase the fear they feel.

To go about making the film, I would go to many different investors, getting the biggest possible sum of money. With this I would approach ILM (assuming they exist) for the effects. Actors would have to be visually recognizable so they can be remembered throughout the film, each one looking very different from others. I think I would approach Brendon Fraiser as a main character as he can handle the action stunts and portray emotion through his facial features very well, and has experience working with "nothing", when he has to pretend something is there that will only be added in post production.

For directors, I would have to go with one who I feel could take the challenge of a fast paced yet silent film. I think Clive barker would have to be my first choice, knowing how to make things grotesque and visually shocking, and I'm confident he could pull of the action scenes.

As for a setting, I think I would have to use mainly sets, but shots of a real town for some scenes. For this I would send out scouts into America to find a small, nice looking town willing to cooperate with the film.


Hopefully, with all of this my film would work well, having elements of it the viewer can relate to and enough terror and action to keep them watching the screen, with the finished product of...

THE UPRISING

In the absence of sound, this whole process would be difficult, but I feel that wouldn't hinder the audience as they would no nothing different and so it wouldn't seem to strange to them. That is all I can come up with. Hopefully it is satisfactory.

Thankyou for your time.

Commendable answer to a tough question. On the other hand, your film feels very strongly narrative and actionbased. Think of the merits of silent cinema and its strengths. I think something more experiential would have been better, particularly as one of the goals is to innovate and make these shorts new. Imagine Clive Barker's answer to Un Chien Andalou for example, or a twenty minute horror silent by Eric Red.

So I assume that all alternate reality time lines stick to current reality time lines?

I'll say yes, but people still drink Tab and Perfect Strangers lasted 12 seasons.

THE SECOND TEST OF HDC IDOL 2008-09


For the second Test, the common theme chosen is - ALTERNATIVE REALITY.


Here are your tasks, Goblins :-


- Alkytrio666 : Visual media is non-existent. The only popular medium which people use to get entertained is the radio. You are in charge of a local horror radio station and desperately need listeners to tune into your broadcasts. What can you possibly do to get people tuned into your station's wavelengths and make it a popular one?


- ChronoGrl : Several critically-acclaimed flicks have failed miserably at the BO - Night of the Living Dead, The Exorcist, Jaws etc. all have been flushed down the toilets. For some reason, the audiences arent willing to accept any of those horror flicks. You are a talented and eccentric filmmaker who is hellbent on making the audiences turn towards horror. What ideas can you use to conquer such hard-headed audiences of the world?


- FerretChucker : The world in which you have grown up is one without sound. People get their share of entertainment by silent, fast-moving pictures projected by huge projectors in theaters. As a horror picture-maker, you have a really awesome idea which you foresee as a potential world-wide phenomenon in horror silents. What would be your pitch to big studios, and how would you go ahead with making it?


(Contd.)

- Fortunato : You are the casting director of one of the most ambitious horror projects ever dreamed - Aliens. James Cameron gives you full backing, but there's a glitch : Sigourney Weaver has moved on to other projects and is NOT returning back. You go ahead and contact some Cameron favorites - Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Carrie Henn, etc. but are repeatedly turned down by all of them. Given the same plotline as the original, who would be your casting choices for all those characters in it?


- X¤Murderdoll¤X : You are in a reality where people love only vampire movies in the genre. Every other sub-genre flicks flop totally at the BO. Given the audiences' collective taste of vampires and more vampires, every known idea from literature and the medias have been exhausted. The top studios want you to make yet another vampire money-spinner. Do you have a fresh idea for a vampire flick to make a mark in the oversaturated audiences' minds?


- The Flayed One : Dario Argento has just contacted you, a musician and a composer, to do the music for Suspiria. A major point to note - Goblin doesnt exist. Which soundtracks/songs can you possibly use to impress Argento, and for the overall composition of the entire movie...and make the movie click with all gialli lovers?


- Vodstok : 1950s. After 3 continuous years of creature/monster movies which have failed to impress the audiences of the world, Universal is looking for fresh ideas and innovative filmmakers. They feel more justified in doing so when Invasion of the Body Snatchers releases to much critical reviews and flops at the BO. Can you make the audiences turn back to horror with a novel script for Universal? Who would you insist upon making your script into a movie for them?



2 entries by the Goblins so far.

Alky- Your answer is thoughtful but lacking in specificity. Others have presented specific projects. I would have liked to have seen an example of what you thought radio should be in this vein.

Ferret- you outline an interesting story- I want to find out how it ends! However, you make some assumptions that I'm not sure are logical, such as this one:

Remember- yours is a world where sound doesn't exist. Don't you think humankind would have developed some kind of method of communication? Certainly they'd be able to impart complex emotions and thoughts in some way. What is it? The human face is quite expressive. Expert actors can impart much with a look or expression- ditto with a gesture, or body posture. Have you watched many silent movies? It was a good answer, but not great.

Alky-
I agree with Doc. You were asked what you would do to make your station popular. I don't see that in your answer. Your appreciation of silence in the medium is notable- but you make no mention of sound effects. Sound effects artists in OTR were quite creative- a prime example is your example of War of the Worlds. They went to great lengths to find original sounds for the alien creatures ships and movements. The power of a simple sound like a creaking door, or the horrible sound of an axe being lodged into a human body- all helped radio dramas gain their effectiveness.
What kind of shows are you going to program? How and why are they going to be popular? What will be their particular strengths? Additionally, in a world with no visual media surely there would have been more resources devoted to developing new audio technologies, methods and soundscapes. How could you have benefited from that- or even pioneered it?
Another good, but not great answer.

BTW V- you are quite clever in coming up with these interesting and challenging scenarios.

At least the Net doesnt hold specific answers to these Tests. But yes, anyone who has a knack for research and holds some good knowledge of the genre can pull this off.

Roshiq, Rayne and Cactus have shown it.

Thanks to the judges for their appreciations & suggestions. But still I'm little bit worried about the next tests..things getting really challenging in all way.

Looking forward to see who'll get the lead in Goblins..! :cool:

Thankyou for the kind words, and the criticism is equally important. Doc, I see your point and probably should have looked further into silent movies. (though I was adamant this wouldn't have caption cards of what people are saying.)

Neverending - I never really thought of that. That is a very good point. Hmmm. That's got me thinking, what would people do to communicate in a world without any sound?

Since he just contacted me and no time frame was mentioned, I'll take a risk and assume that this was 24hrs ago.

Mr. Argento, I have an exciting style for you to listen to. It's perfect for Suspiria, and when I'm finished with my pitch, I think it will sell itself.

There are several inspirations that I have which I wish to blend together into a musical melting pot. After all, you yourself are known for casting those of different cultures and languages and having lines phonetically fed to actors who don't understand each other. This is one of the brilliant subtleties of your movies. I intend to carry on the tradition with your soundtrack.

First, I have looked to Japan to a bright young composer named Michiru Yamane. She is a famous video game composer in Japan, and her music has gothic overtones that are perfectly mixed with power rock. Listen to her brilliant soundtrack to Symphony of the Night. These are but one of the elements I wish to bring to your movie. A beautifully composed piano soundtrack intertwined with some elements of rock seem to be essential to the feel we wish to create. She can create silence when silence should be had, and then bring the audience to it's knees with a sudden surge. Here are some samples from her brilliant Symphony of the Night soundtrack. Prologue is a highlight of why I have chosen her as an example.

Next I've looked to Sweden to composer Bo Hansson. His quirky instrumental music on albums such as Attic Thoughts bring a classic 70's feel to the table. This is the second element I want to bring to your film. I want to mix in the nostalgia of a time when the world opened its eyes to the genre and forever changed the face of the modern horror industry. Mr. Hanssons music always has an air about it as if it is building to something. I love the feel of constant suspense this style can bring to the table. Here is a sampling of his music from Attic Thoughts.


Finally, I've looked to Germany to rock band Amon Duul II. Their crunchy rock style mixed with various musical instruments and occasional bizarre voice overs will add the final touch I am looking for. Their album Wolf City is a strong example. I strongly believe this is the final touch in the feel of your movie. An element of the bizarre gives the viewer that subtle, other worldly experience that mixes well with a the supernatural. Here are some samplings from Wolf City. Although all of their music may not seem to be a perfect fit, the track Deutsch Nepal gives a prime example of why I chose them as inspiration.

So there you have it. I can combine these three styles, and together we can create a horrible beauty.

Mr. Flayed, you should have heeded bwind's admonition to avoid casting dead actors. While Ms. Yamane was not dead in 1977 when Suspiria was released, she was only 14 years old. Her first recorded work was released in 1985- making her presumably unavailable in 1977.

Your other choices- Hansson and Amon Duul are both inspired. Would have even been more inspired if you would have suggested Bo Hansson as composer, with Amon Duul recording. Hansson posseses the right feel for Argento- maybe a little on the light side- but Amon Duul could have brought an edge to the music.

An above average answer, but flawed.

Challenge Answer: Return to Wonderland
 

I’ve decided that my alternate reality brings us to now, present day and this I why: I am assuming that, in this alternate reality all horror has been panned, all “Blockbusters” leading up until now, which encompasses the aforementioned Night of the Living Dead, Exorcist, and Jaws. Of course, this will also include everything from Kubrick’s The Shining (panned in 1980), to 1999’s utter disaster The Blair Witch Project, proving that the audience as a whole is not willing to embrace pure, non-diluted horror.

In coming up with my proposal, I did some preliminary research in terms of highest grossing films of all time. In order to bring horror to a public who does not like horror, one must encompass elements of the film industry’s past successes. Titanic, The Dark Knight, Star Wars, Shrek 2, and ET: The Extra-Terrestrial are the top 5 Box Office successes of all time. Recent Blockbusters of the last five years include three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, two X-Men sequels, two Spiderman sequels, and three Harry Potter movies.

The recipe for success seems to be a combination comic book heroes and anti-heroes, adventure, and pure fantastical escapism.

So we need to take that and turn it into horror.

I propose that, in order to introduce this public into the concept of horror, we must take elements of classic fairy tales (a recipe for success year after year with early Disney as well as a baseline of familiarity) while also using the vehicle of serial comic book adaptation that proved to be successful over the past few years. As an upcoming filmmaker I propose that, specifically, we take Zenescope Entertainment’s Grimm Fairy Tales’ comic spin-off mini-series Return to Wonderland and adapt it to the screen. Since this mini-series is already a cult success amongst comic book enthusiasts, we’ll already have a base for our audience. For the rest of the general public, the success in recent years of Shrek and its sequels, shows that it is clear that the public is romanced by the concept of the redone fairy tale. I think that we can springboard off of the midrange success of 2006’s Pan’s Labyrinth and push the envelope farther. Return to Wonderland possesses a decent cross-section of horror sub-genre that had been previously rejected when presented holistically in an entire film (Carpenter’s pure Slasher Halloween caused some audience members to actually vomit into their Raisinets). So, with Return to Wonderland, we introduce the audience to horror little by little: Parts of the Slasher can be found in the Queen of Hearts and her gardening Playing Cards (literally painting the roses red with the blood of their own), the Monster sub-genre can be found in the horrifying, stalking, larger-than-life Cheshire Cat, and even the sub-genre of Cannibalism and Pulp in the Lecherous Mad Hatter. The movie(s) as a whole will play delightfully with the Surreal/Fantastical horror sub-genre, which seems to be a bit more palatable to the general audience. What’s great about adapting this entire comic mini-series is that it will enable us to create a series of sequels with which to ease the public into the genre of horror while simultaneously keeping them in familiar territory with a known fairy tale.

Chrono- this is a brilliant answer. By taking the "franchise" route, you can ease the audience into accepting more and more horrific elements in their movies. Starting off relatively tame, in terms of content, the audience can grow to love your characters and want to see them more, and when you start pushing the envelope, they will go right with you.

A very well reasoned scenario. High marks from me.

Going for geek cred might very well work in this alternate universe. While I'm not specifically impressed, it might just work. Also, easing an audience into horror might be the answer. This world's people might be endeared by something strange in this vein. Good work. I expected something really in-your face innovative from you, but I won't let my expectations of your intellect and good taste get in the way of my judging. Next round, really make it your own and wow me.

Thanks for the feedback, NE! I'm not sure if you've read the "Return to Wonderland" mini-series, but they're also a personal favorite of mine.

Thanks for the feedback too, Doc! To tell you the truth, this challenge was ridiculously difficult because I wanted to come up with something that was ridiculously edgy and "in-your-face" (my original concept when thinking this out was to go for a more subtle and macabre Jean-Pierre Jeunet-inspired surreal piece as opposed to a Guillermo del Toro-inspired surreal piece). However, what kept stopping me short was demand for "blockbuster" and "general audience appeal." Though V suggested that I put myself in the shoes of "a young Kubrik or Polanski," to tell you truth, in this alternate universe they would have already failed (if the concept is that all horror-to-date has failed, that, unfortunately encompasses Kubrik and Polanski too).

Not that I'm talking back to the judges or anything. :o I just feel like I have to at least defend it slightly as I felt as though I was selling a piece of my soul trying to think of big-budget-blockbuster horror that hasn't been done and that will appeal to the masses. I think that, unfortunately, the masses as a whole shy away from the in-your-face, never mind in a world where they've already shunned horror. Of course, this could just be my pessimistic world view, but, hey, it's my big budget horror movie, damnit! :p

...

But, regardless - You two are people whom I respect greatly and it makes me smile to read your feedback. Cheers, guys. :D

THE SECOND TEST OF HDC IDOL 2008-09


- Alkytrio666 : Visual media is non-existent. The only popular medium which people use to get entertained is the radio. You are in charge of a local horror radio station and desperately need listeners to tune into your broadcasts. What can you possibly do to get people tuned into your station's wavelengths and make it a popular one?


- ChronoGrl : Several critically-acclaimed flicks have failed miserably at the BO - Night of the Living Dead, The Exorcist, Jaws etc. all have been flushed down the toilets. For some reason, the audiences arent willing to accept any of those horror flicks. You are a talented and eccentric filmmaker who is hellbent on making the audiences turn towards horror. What ideas can you use to conquer such hard-headed audiences of the world?


(Contd.)

- FerretChucker : The world in which you have grown up is one without sound. People get their share of entertainment by silent, fast-moving pictures projected by huge projectors in theaters. As a horror picture-maker, you have a really awesome idea which you foresee as a potential world-wide phenomenon in horror silents. What would be your pitch to big studios, and how would you go ahead with making it?


- Fortunato : You are the casting director of one of the most ambitious horror projects ever dreamed - Aliens. James Cameron gives you full backing, but there's a glitch : Sigourney Weaver has moved on to other projects and is NOT returning back. You go ahead and contact some Cameron favorites - Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Carrie Henn, etc. but are repeatedly turned down by all of them. Given the same plotline as the original, who would be your casting choices for all those characters in it?


- X¤Murderdoll¤X : You are in a reality where people love only vampire movies in the genre. Every other sub-genre flicks flop totally at the BO. Given the audiences' collective taste of vampires and more vampires, every known idea from literature and the medias have been exhausted. The top studios want you to make yet another vampire money-spinner. Do you have a fresh idea for a vampire flick to make a mark in the oversaturated audiences' minds?


(Contd.)

- The Flayed One : Dario Argento has just contacted you, a musician and a composer, to do the music for Suspiria. A major point to note - Goblin doesnt exist. Which soundtracks/songs can you possibly use to impress Argento, and for the overall composition of the entire movie...and make the movie click with all gialli lovers?


- Vodstok : 1950s. After 3 continuous years of creature/monster movies which have failed to impress the audiences of the world, Universal is looking for fresh ideas and innovative filmmakers. They feel more justified in doing so when Invasion of the Body Snatchers releases to much critical reviews and flops at the BO. Can you make the audiences turn back to horror with a novel script for Universal? Who would you insist upon making your script into a movie for them?



4 entries by the Goblins so far.

Flayed- a thoughtful answer. I don't think I will penalize you on Yamane as NE did. Six years premature is not as thoughtless as dead and she would be an asset to the production. You only take one hit for that one. I'm not the music guru that NE is, but from I did a little research and the other two you've picked look strong. Nicely done.

Cynicism is both an asset an a weakness when approaching tasks like this. The public will surprise you. We now live in an America that's clamoring for a Watchmen movie, where vintage horror DVD sets are commercially viable. The Deep Discount store near my home sold out of Paul Naschy box sets in two days. The heroes that change genres are distinguishing fans with unique visions like Tarantino, Dante, Landis, Rodriguez and Scorcese. Take this to heart. The above blockbuster's might have failed because of a more jaded intellectual audience or they might have failed because people want something harder. Maybe this world has hardcore porn in every newspaper so Jaws is like camomile tea. Maybe in this world Svankmajer has been hailed as the savior of film and people eat Jodorowsky Flakes. In the future, none of you should stifle your voice or be afraid to go out on a limb. Genres change when artists with grit and savvy change them and fans with grit and savvy can be artists with grit and savvy. Balls to the wall, people!

48 hours are up for the Goblins.

I would like to request all Judges to send in their scorecards for this Test through PMs to me.

Also a reminder to the Elves to be ready for their first Test which will be posted within the next 24 hours.

Now that our part is officially over, I'd like to make a few comments.

The random selection god obviously had it out for me. If there was one section of a movie I was terrified of getting tagged on, it was soundtracks. I am by no means any kind of composer guru. Most of the time, I really don't even pay attention to the music in a movie.

Ironically enough, it was Suspiria that first made me notice soundtracks in a movie. There are very few movies that the soundtrack grabs me in (musicals excluded) Goblins soundtrack slapped me in the face and made me explore the musical side of the industry a little more.

Sadly, I'm still not very versed in composers and soundtracks. It took a lot of hours of research to come up with what I did (thank goodness for Pandora) Ms. Yamane was the only one of the three that I knew and loved before the research started, and I took a calculated risk choosing her. Of course, NE was my nemesis on this one, and his critique actually turned out better than I thought. To have one of the most knowledgable members in the field of music on the site give me above average remarks is a relief, to say the least.

The real success story here is that I got turned on to Bo Hansson. His music is incredible to say the least, and I'm ashamed of myself for not doing this kind of research before and discovering him. Attic Thoughts is on target for order after the holidays, and probably most of his catalogue as well. If any of you haven't heard his music, follow the link in my post. He's an incredible composer and deserves recognition.

I think every challenge of ours was difficult in it's own way, as were those of the other teams. I can see this will be a difficult task but one I am now very interested in. I'm curious though, will one person from each group be kicked out of each group, the person with the lowest marks?

this challenge was evil and I'm glad I'm a judge, not a contestant!

of those of you who answered I must say good job. I am please with most answers but Alky... what's the deal? You didn't really answer the challenge. Saying radio is great is not the same thing as coming up with great radio.

Although I am not a judge
Ferret
what I would have done in your task is researched back into time when
silent movies were being made.
Audiences were captivated by the silliness of charlie chaplin..why?
How could the audience relate to a black and white,silent movie in those days
and what made this man so popular.?

It all had to do with presentation.

Even when the man cried , his facials made people laugh.
why?
I want to play the next game.

Yeah, it was a lousy answer. To be honest (not that this is a legit excuse) I wrote that in about ten minutes between the third shoot for a final film and a major semester exam.

Between over 25 pages of papers, a film, and four or five final exams, I'm starting to re-think my participation in this contest--I'm not quite myself as of late, and I'm not sure I have time to commit.

Stick with it, Alky- your time will free up. I figured it was school that had you at a disadvantage.

Drop out of school. This is clearly more important!