TAFI Town Hall

[RMichael21]

Just to clarify, but what is the main goal of the Hall of Fame for here?

Is it a recognition of people's contribution to the boards or is it someone's full body of work? I say that because even with 4 inductees, if the goal is to recognize people's contributions to the boards, it would take 3+ years to induct everyone you just mentioned

That to me just feels like a long time...and if you want people to be around for their recognition, I think the TAFI Year End Awards would work better..

No, I agree 100%. The only reason why I tagged them was to get their attention so that they could be a part of the conversation.

 

[RMichael21]

Ah yeah...that was the other thing I wanted to talk about. What's happening with that? I think it wouldn't be bad to have a small group of people add stuff to the forum. I probably wouldn't have described it as "dominating per se over the community" because I thought that wasn't the original intention of the conservationists. But a small group with less responsibility and simply doing things for the forum...I don't see that as a negative.

Once again, I agree 100%. I think that at the end of the year, we have a group of 5 be voted in to be in charge of newsletters, point rankings, etc and then have another re-vote in June or July.

 

[spacemt354]

No, I agree 100%. The only reason why I tagged them was to get their attention so that they could be a part of the conversation.

Ah cool!

Also, after we tackle the Hall of Fame stuff with everyone, there was another thing I've noticed this season and I thought it was important for future seasons. It regards the competitions.

I've noticed a general trend down over the year in regards to interest and time. Maybe that has to do with what happened over the summer, possibly, but I also think it has to do with the timing of everything. While a schedule was put in place this year, so it wasn't like anyone had a choice as to when they wanted to run their comp, mid-May till mid-June, as well as the Fall, are some of the busiest times of year school-wise, and it's clear to me at least, that people who want to host next year need to take those times into consideration.

And you can just tell by the level of discussion in the discussion threads how much free time people have.There's been a steady decline over time, and maybe it's work, maybe it's people are just burned out,...but last year around this time there was so much conversation and excitement that I'm starting to think it's the latter option.

 

[RMichael21]

Ah cool!

Also, after we tackle the Hall of Fame stuff with everyone, there was another thing I've noticed this season and I thought it was important for future seasons. It regards the competitions.

I've noticed a general trend down over the year in regards to interest and time. Maybe that has to do with what happened over the summer, possibly, but I also think it has to do with the timing of everything. While a schedule was put in place this year, so it wasn't like anyone had a choice as to when they wanted to run their comp, mid-May till mid-June, as well as the Fall, are some of the busiest times of year school-wise, and it's clear to me at least, that people who want to host next year need to take those times into consideration.

And you can just tell by the level of discussion in the discussion threads how much free time people have.There's been a steady decline over time, and maybe it's work, maybe it's people are just burned out,...but last year around this time there was so much conversation and excitement that I'm starting to think it's the latter option.

I think what contributed to this is that, like you said, people are burnt out because there haven't been any breaks at all in the season. Take me, for example. The longest break that I've had this year were the two weeks after my elimination from The Creator Games! and before SA. And I really didn't get a break from competitions after SA because of the overlapping transition between SA and The Choice.

Also, it's all about hype, if you will. I think that the reason that there was so much excitement surrounding TSI Season 1 because there hadn't been a regular season competition for 2 months. With the Creator Games as well, it picked up lots of new people and also returning players. However, a majority of those in TCG hadn't played in TSI, I believe. But, once SA rolled around, lots of people were burnt out already, and the whole situation in July didn't help. With The Choice added on top, people (including myself) are, and rightfully so, feeling burnt out.

I think that next year, we need to "plan" to have a few break months or something like that. I know that we've discussed having TSI and TCG overlap a bit next year, in order to have June free due to the busy last months of the school year. If SA begins on schedule next year in early July, it could actually be pretty nice to have a gap month in order to rejuvenate attitudes and motivation.

 

[spacemt354]

I think what contributed to this is that, like you said, people are burnt out because there haven't been any breaks at all in the season. Take me, for example. The longest break that I've had this year were the two weeks after my elimination from The Creator Games! and before SA. And I really didn't get a break from competitions after SA because of the overlapping transition between SA and The Choice.

Also, it's all about hype, if you will. I think that the reason that there was so much excitement surrounding TSI Season 1 because there hadn't been a regular season competition for 2 months. With the Creator Games as well, it picked up lots of new people and also returning players. However, a majority of those in TCG hadn't played in TSI, I believe. But, once SA rolled around, lots of people were burnt out already, and the whole situation in July didn't help. With The Choice added on top, people (including myself) are, and rightfully so, feeling burnt out.

I think that next year, we need to "plan" to have a few break months or something like that. I know that we've discussed having TSI and TCG overlap a bit next year, in order to have June free due to the busy last months of the school year. If SA begins on schedule next year in early July, it could actually be pretty nice to have a gap month in order to rejuvenate attitudes and motivation.

I think that's definitely where we need more people in this discussion to go forward. This season has been great, but I think last year, people underestimated how much time would be spent with the competitions, and how much energy they'd have at the end of it.

I wouldn't necessarily go back to the tiers..because that's a little too complex for me. But I think a healthy dose of larger comps and small comps sprinkled around would be better so that people don't get burned out. And by healthy dose...I mean 2 large comps and then the Elite Eight. With breaks in between and possibly smaller events in those breaks and throughout the larger comps. I think as these comps get more complex and involved, we need to re-evaluate how much time this actually takes out of our personal schedules and adapt.

I still think we remain on track for this year...but this should be discussed for next year because I think it's really important.

 

[RMichael21]

I think that's definitely where we need more people in this discussion to go forward. This season has been great, but I think last year, people underestimated how much time would be spent with the competitions, and how much energy they'd have at the end of it.

I wouldn't necessarily go back to the tiers..because that's a little too complex for me. But I think a healthy dose of larger comps and small comps sprinkled around would be better so that people don't get burned out. And by healthy dose...I mean 2 large comps and then the Elite Eight. With breaks in between and possibly smaller events in those breaks and throughout the larger comps. I think as these comps get more complex and involved, we need to re-evaluate how much time this actually takes out of our personal schedules and adapt.

I still think we remain on track for this year...but this should be discussed for next year because I think it's really important.

Yeah, I see your point. I think that it would actually make a lot of since to do that.

 

[spacemt354]

Yeah, I see your point. I think that it would actually make a lot of since to do that.

And also with that...I would think SYWTBAI should have first dibs of running its 13th season uninterrupted sometime next year.

 

[RMichael21]

And also with that...I would think SYWTBAI should have first dibs of running its 13th season uninterrupted sometime next year.

I completely agree. Tiki purposefully pushed it back from this year so he could run SYWTBAI uninterrupted. Obviously, the first half of the yea rid somewhat in place already, per se, with TSI and TCG. But, the second half of the year is still up in the air at this point.

 

[spacemt354]

I completely agree. Tiki purposefully pushed it back from this year so he could run SYWTBAI uninterrupted. Obviously, the first half of the yea rid somewhat in place already, per se, with TSI and TCG. But, the second half of the year is still up in the air at this point.

Yeah, in fact, not to jump ahead, but perhaps if TSI runs till April and TCG till mid-May - perhaps there's a break till the start of July from "major" comps. During that time, maybe you could have smaller stuff like ICS Weekends, or The Shark Tank, or One-Sentence Comps, stuff like that so something is still going on even though we are taking a "break"

And especially since Tiki pushed it back, I think he should be able to choose when to do SYWTBAI. It also depends on how long it is, but perhaps a large comp happens in the summer till around this time next year, then we take a break in preparation for the Elite Eight, again with smaller stuff happening in the break.

If we do go with a "no-schedule" type deal, the actual dates would be worked out among the hosts, but I think we definitely need to learn from this year and use it as a tool going forward in planning the dates for the comps in order to get the most activity and "hype"

 

[Sam Magic]

And as for the conversationalists, we actually hadn't used the PM since the whole thing happened, but I just revived it in an effort to figure out the logistics of the Hall of Fame vote. I think that it was discussed that the conversationalists would not be abolished, but toned down rather. Instead of having the conversationalists be a group of 11 creating a schedule and dominating per se over the community, it would be 3 or 5 people trying to figure out logistics of smaller things that add to the community such as Hall of Fame votes, newsletters, point rankings and the Elite Eight.

No, it was agreed the Conversationalists are done. If people wanted to do the newsletters and stuff they could and publicly form the group. The decision was for everything to be done publicly. No backroom schedules being made, no anything. Public. Committees could be formed with public approval and consent and would only be temporary (a few months, six at max).

 

[RMichael21]

No, it was agreed the Conversationalists are done. If people wanted to do the newsletters and stuff they could and publicly form the group. The decision was for everything to be done publicly.

No, I don't think so. I'm pretty sure that it was decided that the conversationalists would return to their original idea, as a group that organized small things (like the newsletters), but wouldn't have a direct impact on the competitions/schedule.

 

[Sam Magic]

No, I don't think so. I'm pretty sure that it was decided that the conversationalists would return to their original idea, as a group that organized small things (like the newsletters), but wouldn't have a direct impact on the competitions/schedule.

With all due respect, I disagree. Go look back on this thread. I think englanddg or Zweiland came up with the final list of things to be done.

Multiple groups could be formed to handle to newsletters or websites or what have you, but the conversationalists, as it exists now, was thrown out.

 

[RMichael21]

With all due respect, I disagree. Go look back on this thread. I think englanddg or Zweiland came up with the final list of things to be done.

Multiple groups could be formed to handle to newsletters or websites or what have you, but the conversationalists, as it exists now, was thrown out.

Exactly, that's what I'm saying. The current conversationalists are not a thing anymore, but the original concept of the conversationalists is a good one in my opinion. I think that it would work well to have 3 people working on Points/Rankings, newsletters and the Elite Eight, but that's just my opinion. Having different groups for all of these things would make things more complicated then they need to be.

 

[spacemt354]

Exactly, that's what I'm saying. The current conversationalists are not a thing anymore, but the original concept of the conversationalists is a good one in my opinion. I think that it would work well to have 3 people working on Points/Rankings, newsletters and the Elite Eight, but that's just my opinion. Having different groups for all of these things would make things more complicated then they need to be.

Yeah that sounds right if I remember correctly. I would go back and look...but I already looked back too far in this thread once and it frightened me so I'm not doing it anymore

 

[RMichael21]

Yeah that sounds right if I remember correctly. I would go back and look...but I already looked back too far in this thread once and it frightened me so I'm not doing it anymore

Sure, I'll look.

 

[RMichael21]

Here's what england said on July 28th. It's what I had in mind, and pretty much everyone agreed upon it. It's kind of a mixture between what I've been saying and what I believe Sam is trying to say as well.

That would basically mean that there is no "convos" and no need for them, and really all we may wish to have is a small group (for this 4 - 5 would work perfectly) of people who volunteer to crank out a monthly newsletter or something. And that group can grow and change as much as we like. Including a monthly "sign up" or something. "hey guys, we need to do the march newsletter (posted in Feb)", who wants to help!? sort of thing.

We would also need someone to TRACK the points through the year. But, again, that could be a rather small secretarial group that can change as much as we want it to, as there is really no discussion to be had. Monthly, things get tallied and a newsletter goes out. Second week of the month people can sign up to be in the next group, with a max of 10, but it can be as little as 1 or 2...whomever is interested, first come first serve. Third week of the month that group scours the forums to come up with the newsletter articles, fourth week the newsletter and current tallies go up. Rinse and repeat.

 

[DSquared]

New Details Regarding DSquared's "What If..." Emerge

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Today, at 4:40 PM Eastern, it was officially confirmed that DSquared Production's new text based show "What If..." was to officially air it's season finale Christmas weekend, in a special 2 part event. This was confirmed after DSquared himself officially revealed the upcoming schedule which is found here:


Episode 1: The House of Mouse Strikes Back - Oct 10 and Oct 11
Episode 2: Classification is Universally Understood - Oct 14
Episode 3: One World Part 1- Oct 18
Episode 4: It's Time to Get Things Started - Oct 24
Episode 5: The Magic of Fear Part 1 - Oct 28
Episode 6: The Magic of Fear Part 2 - Oct 31
Episode 7: MARVELous California Adventures - Nov 7
Episode 8: Sillier Symphonies - Nov 14 and Nov 15
Episode 9: One World Part 2 - Nov 16 through Nov 20
Episode 10: Going Outside In - Nov 21 and Nov 22
Episode 11 - Nov 28 and Nov 29
Episode 12 - Dec 5 and Dec 6
Episode 13 - Dec 12 and Dec 13
Episode 14 - Dec 19 and Dec 20
Episode 15 (Part 1) - Dec 21 through Dec 25
Episode 16 (Part 2) - Dec 26 and Dec 27


It was also announced that "What If... Season 2" has been officially put into production for a Valentine's Day week air date. Here's what DSquared had to say regarding the news:

"It's very exciting. This has been an incredibly unique experience for me. Having an episodic 'show' like this. Being able have release dates, special 'episodes', reoccurring content, an overall story line, and a great new viewer interaction in [Season 2]. Some people may not understand how there is a story line. What's so amazing is that I am like the 'main character' developing ideas in this 'show'. And interaction in the discussion thread is like the character's interactions in this 'show'. The community plays a bigger part then they think. This has so far been better than I ever could have anticipated, and we'll be looking to make it even better."

And here's what he said when asked about what to expect going forward:

"There are so many different ideas we have thrown around on how to make the viewer experience more fluent, interactive, and unique. It's not confirmed yet, but we are very interested in developing a multi-platform show. We feel that going multi-platform would bring in many new viewers, but could also bring in possibility of somehow doing a 'movie'. That's something big we are looking into."

 

[spacemt354]

TAFI Newsletter
October 23, 2015

Introduction

Greetings everyone! Last spring, with all the exciting ideas and events floating around the forum, a few members of the Imagineering community wanted to showcase those elements in a series of bi-weekly newsletters, formally known as the TAFI Newsletters. For those members that have recently joined or are finding this for the first time, the acronym of "TAFI" stands for:

The Alliance of Future Imagineers

This name, devised a long time ago, is meant to represent all of the activities on the Imagineering forum and create a more unified community where we can all express our passion for Disney together. Several others, including myself, really enjoyed reading these newsletters as they were a great way of summarizing all of the current concepts and discussions taking place, and showcasing them all in one post on one central thread.

Tonight...we are bringing that back! And back to stay! It's one of the few ideas that, slowly but surely, will make their way to the boards and hopefully bring everyone together in new and exciting ways! With that said, let's see what's going on throughout the forum...

Imagineering Competitions and Events

The Choice - the exhilarating imagineering competition created by @Matt7187 and inspired by the hit TV series, The Voice, is currently in its 5th week. For those who haven't seen it, the competition divided up the 20 contestants into four teams of five, with each team assigned a veteran armchair imagineer on the forums, as their team "coach" to guide the team to victory.

Challenge 6 is due tomorrow (Saturday October 24th) at 8PM EST, so be sure to tune into that via the link here

What If... - a weekly event started by @DSquared where he proposes a topic of discussion about Disney and other theme park locations, to illustrate "what if" these changes were a reality. New content should be coming sometime this weekend! Check it out here

With a smile and a song... - a weekly event by @The90skid where each and every Friday, an imagineering assignment will be posted, and if The90skid doesn't post a concept by the following Friday, a self-inflicted "punishment" is instilled, where The90skid has to recite lines to Disney songs for not getting a project in. As an added bonus, whoever points it out first that the deadline has passed will be able to choose the song. Luckily, The90skid was able to get the first project in on time today, and you can go comment and talk about it here

Individual Spotlights

@Corey has recently started a new WDW 5th gate thread talking about the new park and also how to expand the current parks. There's some very interesting concepts to check out which has generated over 1,200 views in its first week! Keep up the good work!

Also check out these long running threads with awesome creative ideas:
The Next Generation: Walt Disney World Resort by orlando678-
A New Generation Series by DisneyManOne
Mickey's Colorfully Timeless Twist by mharrington

Social Media

The SoYouWantToBeAnImagineer YouTube channel - the official wdwmagic hub for all imagineering competition recap podcasts. It's a truly fantastic channel and tons of contributions from people all around the forums. Be sure to check it out and subscribe! They have a ton of great content! If anyone is new or hasn't seen one of the videos in a while, here's a sample from earlier in the year, recapping one of the best competitions ever held on the forum - The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Season 2 - International Edition. See @TheOriginalTiki for more information!



On the Horizons

In addition to all the activities going on right now that you can be a part of, there are several things to look forward to in the near future as well.

The ICS Tournament II - Starting on December 1, the wdwmagic forums will see its second annual "Elite Eight" tournament unfold. This competition brings together the best of the best imagineers who have competed throughout the year and are seated at the top of the TAFI Points Standings for the season. It will be something special!

TAFI Year-End Awards - the annual award ceremony held at the end of December that concludes the competitive and imagineering "season" with a series of awards to showcase the members who illuminated the boards with their talents for creativity and imagination. Hosted by @Sam4D23

The Sole Imagineer: Season 2 - Redemption Island - To kick off the upcoming 2016 TAFI competition season...the smash-hit, drama inducing competition based off of the reality-TV show, Survivor, will be returning for a second season. Based on the first season hosted by RMichael21, it will be interesting to see what tricks and turns he has up his sleeve come January 1st.



Conclusion
That will about cover this week's edition of the TAFI Newsletter. Tune in next week and for now have a great time imagineering!








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[The90skid]

Thanks for the shoutout!

 

[Sam Magic]

It's back!