How 10 Cloverfield Lane will change the way we look at movies

Guys, the time is now to geek out about movies:

What a glorious time to be alive. It seems that everyday there is a bit of movie news that just gets me so pumped up for its release. First it was all the Marvel hype, with Deadpool, Civil War and the like; then it was DC with Suicide Squad and Superman v Batman; but now, something else is swallowing my attention.

And it's the sequel that very well could change the way we look at movies. Forever.

I speak of course, about 10 Cloverfield Lane, which, if you haven't seen the trailer for, PLEASE GO WATCH IT NOW. I posted it below! How easy!! If that isn't enough, Here's a Link!!!

I need to back up a bit, and explain why this is all so significant. (Beside the fact that we're getting another Cloverfield movie)

**Potential Cloverfield and 10 Cloverfield Lane Spoilers ahead**

In 2008, when the first film, Cloverfield, came out, there was massive hype surrounding its release. This was due to something called, "Viral Marketing".

By definition, Viral Marketing means:

" ... any marketing technique that induces Web sites or users to pass on a marketing message to other sites or users, creating a potentially exponential growth in the message's visibility and effect."

The original Cloverfield came out of no where, and people didn't know what to expect from it, or what it was about. There was an evolving period of initial hype, and that lead to speculation, and the formation of the ARG.

The ARG, stands for Augmented Reality Game. (And no, not like a video game) This "game" took place in the real world and was being played by everyone. How did this game get created? Who created it? What's the point?

The simple and great thing about the original Cloverfield ARG was that it was the first of its kind. The "game" was more like a mystery, fans just dubbed it a "game" because that's what it felt like. And it was fun.

There was no one sole creator of the mystery game surrounding Cloverfield, but rather it was comprised of multiple fans all over the world who wanted to know more about the movie. 

And the point? Well some say there is no winning stage, but rather a collection of knowledge and community that is built around the movie.

If this sounds completely bizarre, I get it. I didn't really understand it either. But allow me to put it frank:

These "players" of the original Cloverfield ARG were banding together, in internet forums, communities, and subreddits; to share pictures, theories, and findings related to the movie.

They were basically all playing Sherlock Holmes for a mystery that needed to be solved. Except in this case, the mystery was the Cloverfield backstory and lore, and the solving was more like a meta easter egg hunt. 

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J.J. Abrams, the producer of Cloverfield, is a marketing genius. He knew that using viral marketing for Cloverfield would amp up the hype, and people would go nuts searching for clues and theories related to the plot of the film. 

Even after the movies release, there was even more speculation about the events that occurred in it, and what happened after. 

Example Time

So let's show some quick examples from the original Cloverfield ARG:

There were so many Cloverfield easter eggs hidden intentionally by its creators. Some were found, others were not. Some clues weren't real clues at all, but a rabbit hole chase down a path that leads to nothing. 

For example, many thought that inverting the poster and putting it side by side eclipsed an image of a monster. Yea... maybe.

One well known easter egg was planted at the end of the movie, in the end credits, where a strange audio clip laid right at the very end. When the audio is reversed, the phrase, "It's still alive." is distinctly heard. Thus suggesting the monster in Cloverfield was not killed after all.

More detailed Easter eggs for Cloverield and 10 Cloverfield Lane, can be found here: http://cloverfieldclues.blogspot.com/

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 Simply put, it was a huge success. And the ARG slowly died off after years of no sequel. 8 long years.

But now, 10 Cloverfield Lane is exploding its own Viral Marketing campaign.

And the new ARG is back up and running. 

This brings me to my soda displayed on my snapchat this weekend, called "Swamp Pop". 

In a quote from Slash Films, 

"When Matt Reeves‘ Cloverfield ... was one of the first big ARGs (Augmented Reality Games). 

The game spanned a bunch of different websites, involving, Slusho, a Japanese drink that was spotted on a t-shirt in that initial Cloverfield teaser trailer. A drilling company named Tagruato (who has since appeared as an easter egg in other JJ Abrams films like Star Trek) had developed the popular Japanese drink using a mysterious ingredient called “seabed’s nectar”.

In the 10 Cloverfield Lane teaser trailer, we see them drinking Swamp Pop soda. Cloverfield fanatics quickly discovered that a website exists for Swamp Pop soda where you can order merchandise and soda. One of the products listed on the website is a “long-term shelter supply” was is sold out:

Note that the the number 4813 also happens to be the number that was punched into the jukebox at the beginning of the trailer."

When I heard about this, I freaked. Not only that, but the Swamp Pop also sells 4 packs, included, with additional puzzle pieces like seen in the trailer.

What's even more crazy, is that a group of redditors on the 10 Clover Field Lane Subreddit put all their acquired pieces together, and this is what it made:

The Eiffel Tower. Which is seen extensively throughout the trailer.

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So needless to say, this viral marketing is working. Right now there are over 5.5k readers on the 10 Cloverfield Lane subreddit, all trying to uncover as much as they can about this beautiful mystery. 

It brings together communities, people, and movies goers alike, and it speaks to the bigger meaning of what it means to market a movie. The subtle, mysterious, and community based strategy of "Viral Marketing" is changing the field. (hehe the Clover-field) 

This new and unique method is bringing people together in a way that not only gets them excited for the film, but also allows them to dive into endless fun trying to figure it all out.

And I cannot wait until March 11, when this movie comes out.

-Phillip

Direction of most people

How can one view the paths of the many?
So many different angles and intercepts are possible and it is very difficult at times to depict the displacement of every body in the radius. This is fascinating. Something as mundane as walking becomes such a complex task in large groups of people. Just expressing the thought and making a conscious effort to display the path of everyone you see, is challenging. To say the least.

Try it, next time you are walking to Starbucks or to class, and depict a virtual pathway of every person you see. Notice how there is almost always an interception of paths, like every 2 seconds.

It's like a playbook. Little X's and O's being drawn across a board. Moving to the exact minute detail in order to execute a play. Football. The Super Bowl is this Sunday. What a coincidence.

"It's easier to fail than succeed."

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

 Being true with yourself and your current situation is perhaps one of the most beneficial things you can do. Just be honest. How are you; Feeling? Acting? Are you; Happy with life? Competent with the way things are going?

...No?? Well that's great. Change it. It's really that simple. I never said how easy this can be, but it is utterly simple in hindsight.

I've known so many people who willfully initiated change in themselves, with fantastic outcomes. It is this simple mindset of acting on our weaknesses that brings out the best of human capability.

Just a big thought. It's fun.

Here's a picture of art

Hey There

Dude seriously like what.

God is so good!

Like dang, real talk.

Just wanted to shout that out for you guys, because I care about you. Yes, you.

===
How are things going? Well I hope. It's been a while, lets grab coffee.

That's so neat, I love that activity. What? You partake in that too? I thought I was the only one!?

Oh of course I saw that, wasn't it crazy? Yea. Yup. Uh huh...

==

Hey there.

A Stance for Irrationalality

Irrationality is everywhere. And it doesn't make sense. It isn't rational. It's nonsensical.

How can it be that irrationality consumes our lives, yet we cannot fathom why it still ravishes in this world? I don't know... Perhaps it is because we must acquire a tolerance to this non-sense, because it is only getting worse and we must be competent in the future struggles.

Or maybe it is because of a different reason.

Everywhere I look, wether minor or large, there are irrational things that don't make sense to the human mind.

"Why is this happening? What does this mean? How come I can't figure this out???"

Everyone faces these questions. Especially me. If you know me at all, even a little bit, you'll probably taste some truth to that statement.

I am constantly asking the golden question, Why can't I figure this out? because I desire something I can't always obtain. Answers. My problem isn't that I crave all answers, but it is thinking that I can obtain the ones I want, which isn't possible.

The Bible talks about this thing called faith, and how faith can justify anything. The testing of our faith produces perseverance.

So let's do that

Shirt Theory

So I had a theory whilst walking today.

That shirts are essential for conversation starters. 

ex) I saw a guy today wearing a 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens" shirt. We continued to fan-girl about Star Wars.

ex 2) Shirts that I wear often evoke conversations. i.e. YoungLife, Ariana Grande, Colorado, etc.

Shirts are essential to meeting people. Because they  draw our attention in, and get us interested in the subject matter printed on the cotton. (or polyester)

Think about it.

Why taking pictures are the worst things ever

Here's a typical scenario:

le me
approached by le female group of females

"Hey can you take a picture of us?"

"Yea, sure thing."

snaps photo
gives phone back

looks at phone

"Uhhhhhhh I don't know..." scrollscroll "Oh no. This won't do. This is terrible."

looks at phone

two pictures le me took look exactly the same

"Here, let me get someone else to take them."


Like, what?!
This happens to me every time. Someone asks me to take a group photo, then immediately disregards the photos and asks someone else to take them again.

Or what's worse, is when they can't decide on a photo, and scroll back-and-forth in-between them, when they literally are the same exact frame only 0.001 seconds apart.

So no. Don't ask me to take your photo.

The Essence of Naps

Sleeping in college is odd.
One week I can get a solid ~8 hours/night, but other weeks I can maybe rack in ~5 hours/night.
Now I'm not complaining at all, I just find it interesting. The relationship between the length of naps and sleep gotten the night before is what makes this interesting.

I don't know, just real cool. Like lets say 5hours sleep = 1 hour nap the next day.

What am I talking about? You can stop reading now.

Quick PSA

Hello Friends and Family,

Just a quick PSA here; I got a new phone so if you has been trying to contact me via text (SMS), or plan on it in the future, please delete all the text threads/messages to&from me from your phone. This way, my new phone can recognize that you are trying to contact me.  If you have SMS'd me in the past week or so, I have not gotten it. Calls still go through, and my number is still the same, Just for some reason the new phone doesn't like the old threads of my old phone's texts. Once again, in order to get in touch with me via txt(SMS) you must delete all those threads/messages.

That is all, I hope you have a great day.

Phillip

I can ride my bike with no handle bars

Pretty much yea...

Like I feel OG af whenever I put my arms down, glide on my bike at night, across the trees, and steer with me body weight and not my hands.
It took a little bit of trial and error. Never fell once. It is really graceful to do right, and you can just imagine the physics behind what is happening on the bike.  Incredible.

It keeps going. . .

Costa Rica.

Deep in the rain forest. You fly in and drive a few hours to get to this hut hidden in the forest. You are very fatigued.  Sleep is the only thing on your mind that has been wandering.
Deep in the jungle lies this tiny bed and breakfast, where the Jeeps took you.
"It's going to be a great day tomorrow." Your S/O says. Yea sure.

The next morning you wake up very early. Not because you planned it that way, it's just that the sun rises and sets early here. So you and your S/O get in the Jeeps and you become increasingly more excited. Up and up you go. Deeper and deeper in the jungle. Dense.

You arise a tad above the tree line, onto a heightened plateau. You can see nothing but jungle all around you, and you hear something.
You turn around, and see the most magnificent water fall. 60ft in the air. Rainbows galore. You ask, "Do we jump?"

"No, we repel down."

And so you repel down. The slight breeze and rampant rush of water vapor consumes you. Takes you in as its own. You are the water fall. At the bottom, awaits the oasis of dreams. A slightly flat rock lies underneath the falls, and irradiates this sensual beauty all around.

"Wow. That was fun." You say.

"It keeps going." Your S/O says.

And so it does. 6 more times. 6 more falls. It keeps going.

You didn't expect to be on beach level at this time, but you are. The beach is right there. And so is this building. Made of marble columns and wood.

"What is that?"
"The resort."

And it was. Pools and spas. All open. It was nice. But it keeps going.

Dinner. Now food is on top of your mind now, and it doesn't let you down.
All you can eat. Steak. Lobster. It keeps going.

Afterwards following the carnivorous takedown, it keeps going.
To the shore. To the stars. To the view of the ocean blue.

And then you realize. The stars. Those tiny bright dots. More here, more there. It keeps going.


It all... keeps going.

SEND ME MAIL

Letters, Packages, anything.

Phillip Dupree

104 North Houston

P.O. Box 704

College Station, TX 77841

The Computer Terminal of Death

System: Have you ever loved something?

[Enter Name] . . .

>xxxxx<

xxxxx: Yes.

System: What was it?

xxxxx: Her. I remember her holding the railing outside. The soft rain.

System: Go on.

xxxxx: I was standing in the doorway. Her back was to me. I don't know if she knew I was watching her, but I loved it. There was something about her. I love her so much.

System: </searching/> That's exactly what we were looking for, xxxxx. Now. Do you see your screen?

xxxxx: Yes.

System: Do you see what's on it?

xxxxx: A file? In the middle there?

System: Precisely. Delete it.

xxxxx: Wh-what is it? Can I look at it?

System: If you wish. It is your wife, xxxxx. Her embodiment, her subconscious, everything you once knew about her is there. Delete it.

xxxxx: NO! I-I- can't do that!

System: You must xxxxx. Or risk perishing here for all eternity.

xxxxx: Where is here? Where am I?

System: There is no name given to it. Just think of it as the middle ground between life and death. One last stop, one last thing to clean up before death.

xxxxx: I'm...dead? But I...I.. this computer?? Just.. Wh-

System: The terminal is a simulation, xxxxx. You will have no memory of this or your wife ever again, if you simply have the will to leave and delete the file. Only then will everything cease, and you will rest in peace.

xxxxx: I can't let you do this.

System: It has already been done.

xxxxx: </omitted/>

System: No language here, xxxxx.

xxxxx: </omitted/></omitted/></omitted/></omitted/>

System: Tsk tsk. At least your wife was more willing to cooperate than you are.

xxxxx: SHE"S HERE??! WHERE IS SHE!?!?!

System: In a better place. She complied. She deleted something that she loved.

xxxxx:  ...no.

System: Yes.

xxxxx: No.. she would ne-

System: She has. You. She deleted you, xxxxx.

xxxxx: 

System: So, how about that file? Lovely day to lose someone dear to you. 

>file deleted<

>simulation end<

Eating Blue Bell on the Abounded Hill

walton hill...

You don't walk on it. Just don't. Unless you live in Walton Dorms on the northside. 

This rule isn't very enforced, but it does exist. Luckily for me, I live in Walton, so I am allowed to walk on the hill at my leisure. Last night, me and a few buddies went on a spree for the holy grail. And in this case, the holy grail=Blue Bell Ice Cream.

Blue Bell! ICE CREAM.

But it was sold out, ;(.

People here freak out over their Blue Bell.

Luckily, one of our pals had some Homemade Vanilla BB in her dorm, so we took spoons, went to get the half gallon, and sat on the Walton Hill. (Then proceeded to eat half of it)

COLLEGE MIXTAPE #2019

https://play.spotify.com/user/1247021543/playlist/46TwtbugoMG5kkFeJmdOSE
https://play.spotify.com/user/1247021543/playlist/46TwtbugoMG5kkFeJmdOSE
https://play.spotify.com/user/1247021543/playlist/46TwtbugoMG5kkFeJmdOSE

Dude....College

The food here is great. At most places. I could literally get Chick-fil-a every day if I wanted to, because my meal plan supports it. Swag. There is even a la carte items I can buy. Plus all the coffee stuff which I will discuss later. 

The people here are also great. I'll start with my dorm, which is insane. Walton dorm is housed to the crazy all-boys dorm of the Northside Texas A&M campus. It is amazing to see how open and kind these guys are, even with their apparent craziness. Walton also has a patio out front, with tables and grills. Everyone hangs out there all the time, playing Bones. (Which is a domino game similar to spades. very fun) Or heckling people. Whenever someone skates or rides by on a skateboard or bike, they all yell, "DO A TRICK!!" ... If the person makes any effort to do a trick, the guys go nuts. If not, they all yell, "YOUR TRICK SUCKS!!!"

rofl

Other people (i.e. everyone else) is also very friendly and open. I am constantly walking up to people and greeting them, and then starting convos. Some of them even become semi or real friends. One prime example of this is when I signed up for Fish Camp, and me and a few guys were talking about EDM. boom. I now hang with these guys all the time.

College is like this, a place for people to experience life together. Even though right now this week has been no classes and all events, I still feel overwhelmed with all there is to do. so many things. So many people. If there is one thing I've learned this past week, College isn't about why you're here, it's about what happens when you're here.

Worship

Tonight was a special night. "That isn't normal," they said. "Like who does that?"
But I did. And to be honest I don't know how I did it either, expect that it was all the Father's doing that night.

8-23-15
It was 7:33pm on Campus and the sun was setting slowly. I was riding my bike across Military walk trying to go to the student center to chill. Near the halfway point, I noticed a large group of people standing around the Academic Plaza. As I slowed down and got closer, I heard they were singing worship songs. I immediately joined.
To tell you the truth it was an odd bit of a decision, as I didn't know anyone here, but the guy singing was just too good to care. This went on for another 15 minutes or so and then someone came up to me and asked my name and how I got here. She was ecstatic that I randomly rode by and stopped.

The rest of that night was incredible. I will never forget it. It really showed me that the Father is with us wherever we go.

This is the verse we read that night: Ephesians 2:2-10

"in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them"

Why the Cupid Shuffle is ruining the world.

I said it. That one "universal-get-to-the-dancefloor" song is ruining the world.

Now, I love dancing. I really do. Even some forms of line dancing are extremely fun. However, the Cupid Shuffle encompasses no such aspect of fun. Only hate.

Let me explain:

The Cupid Shuffle was recorded by Cupid in 2006, originally produced for a dance orientated video game, and peaked at #66 on the Billboard Hot 100.  What was at first a fun song to dane to, my opinion of this insanely popular track drastically changed over the past few years. (Primarily due to the entrance of better music in my ears.)

At every social gathering put on, no matter what the occasion, if there is a dance floor and music playing you can almost 100% guarantee that this song will be played. I've even been in situations where it was played twice in the same evening. Horrifying.
What's worse is that these "dance events" happen very often.
It is very easy to think, "Okay. We have this group of people and we don't know how to entertain them. I know, let's hold a dance party."

*Before I jump the gun, let me state that I have no hate against amateur dance parties. It is just a simple fact that these events consist of a few lights rented from Guitar Center and an iPod plugged into the master system. Boom. Instant dance party.*

The sheer amount of amateur dance parties I have (sometimes unwillingly) attended, allowed me experience the Cupid Shuffle in many different scenarios and situations.
Thus, I was able to fully understand that this song is not fun. The context and reasoning behind this song being played at a party is the reason the song is acquired this terrible taste. What was once a fun line-dancing song has now evolved into this engrossing monster that destroys amateur dance parties with its redundancy and unoriginality.

The reason I find it so despising is because the playing the Cupid Shuffle is the equivalent to a lazy back-handed remark to the audience that says, "Hey you. Dance to this. Because I have no desire to actually try to be musically creative and experiment with other songs that the crowd may enjoy, so I am just going to resort to the easy way out."
Makes me sick.

The following shows some instances in which the Cupid Shuffle will be played at an event. If one or more of the following occur, you can bet the song will drop. Leave immediately.

Alternatively, if none of these are occurring, it is very unlikely that the song will be played.

• A terrible Host/Hostess/DJ that does not fulfill their duty to keep the crowd entertained at all times because they are either; 
• A: Playing music from an iPod with no sense of musicality or crowd energy differences. 
• B: Not mixing the songs so there are awkward silent gaps in-between tracks. 
• or C: Playing for children, teens, or adults who are at a non-genre-specific event. (i.e. Prom, Homecoming, wedding, etc.)
• The event is Prom, Homecoming, a Wedding, an amateur dance party, etc.
• The DJ has been requested to play the song and is somehow willing enough to play it either as a joke or for fun. (Which is impossible because that song can't be enjoyed anymore)
• Cupid is headlining. 

You have been warned. 

It is time to rise up against this atrocity to music. 

STOP PLAYING CUPID SHUFFLE.

-Phillip