Candidate Questions:
@Citrus/Moonchild: You two have the first ever dual host ticket in Platinum Hit history. How can we trust that this is the proper format for the game, and how will the game be impacted by this?
Moonchild: I'm looking forward to hosting with Citrus! Co-hosting is a great format for a massive game like Platinum Hit. It'll give us more time to devote to the players and the development of the game. We'll be able to divide hosting responsibilities, spend more time in the thread and focus more on writing reviews. It'll be different, sure, but I don't see many downsides. It's two for the price of one.
Citrus: It feels counter-intuitive to say that two people hosting would be anything but easier. Co-hosting allows us to split up duties like the Excel spreadsheet and results tables with better relation to our schedules. I, myself, tend to have really busy Sundays during the school year, so having Moon as a co-host would allow him to cover for me then. Of course, I can then take over duties whenever he's busy. I don't see the game itself changing too drastically as a result, except for the fact that the title might not be changed as quickly as usual (though Temp only changed the title when his reviews were posted, how selfish).
What do you think worked and didn't work in PH9? How would you improve off of that?
Moonchild: To me, the biggest flaw of PH9 was that it didn't always allows the players to breathe. Challenges like the Sequel round and the twist in the Self-Portrait round felt overly restrictive. And though I like the idea of the HitList, I think it's confusing and ineffective. I'll toss it and give the judges one or two individual saves for the game.
My goal for Diamond Hit is to focus on open-ended challenges that encourage creativity and realistic challenges that build songwriting skills. I'll use challenges like the Pokemon Type and Zodiac Signs for the creative challenges and ones like the Label and Track challenges for the skill-building challenges. Citrus and I will probably have some differences here, but I think the compromise will result in a well-rounded game.
Citrus: The best thing about PH9, aside from its choice of winner, was the variety of challenges. I personally loved all of the tasks that left me drawing a complete blank. In that regard, Moon and I will balance one another out. I want difficult, lowkey annoying challenges and he wants open-ended hippie ones. Together we'll make solid, skill-building concepts that can appeal to most anyone.
PH9's biggest negative was the differing interpretations of challenges among the judges. A classic example is 8th mercilessly slaughtering everyone in the Writing Camp challenge. Basically, I think this can be fixed with more communication between the judges and more clear-cut outlines of challenges. As someone who has written well over 30 challenges for games like Drag Race, Slasher, and Election, I think I'm well-suited to do so.
What do you hope each contestant will learn and leave with from Diamond Hit?
Moonchild: I want the Diamond Hit contestants to leave Diamond Hit with confidence in their songwriting. I want them to leave with tools that will help them write songs in any genre. Platinum Hit isn't always easy, but the challenge helped me grow more than anything else as a contestant. There isn't any one way to write songs, but you can always learn so much from Platinum Hit. I want to emphasize that.
Citrus: I want every contestant to leave knowing that they will never be glamour. Diamond Hit will amp up PH's key characteristics to historic proportions. The learning curve is naturally going to be bigger because the talent will be bigger. I want everyone to feed off of that and be able to interact freely with judges and fellow contestants in sort of gay, songwriting commune. With less Marxism.
What kind of criticisms do you hope to level at the contestants? What techniques should they all develop?
Moonchild: I hope to tailor the criticisms to the contestant as best as I can. I would balance artistry and technique in my scoring, but two writers are alike. They grow from different types of criticism. No matter what, I think the contestants should be able to balance creativity, emotion and flow in their songs. You should be able to blend the technical parts of songwriting (rhythm, meter, structure, flow) with your own ideas. Last but not least, I think you should be able to express common themes in a way that's uniquely you.
Citrus: I think I bring a somewhat unique skill set as a judge because my writing experience prior to PH was as a creative writing coach and essay tutor. Consequently, I have a particular affinity for story and narrative within songs, and I would love for each contestant to learn how to imbue their lyrics with backstory without just throwing words at the reader. Of course, it's also important for contestants to try out different styles and genres. As a huge fan of heartbreaking cancer songs and Cupcakke-esque raps, I would be thrilled to help our contestants try out genres they never thought of attempting before.
What/who are you going to look for in your judging panel?
Moonchild: I want a panel that helps the contestants develop their own voice and styles. Like Citrus, I want a panel balanced by different types of songwriters and different types of judges. The songwriters of the game are diverse and the panel should reflect that. I want four judges total, and I'd like a blend of veteran judges and new judges. For specific judges, I would love to work with Tymps, UFO, lovesong, Temporal and/or Fefe. Our final decision will be based on the applications, however.
Citrus: The first thing I look at when picking judges is their full-frontal shot, which is a necessary part of the application. Once they've passed that, I look at their songwriting and critique style. I want a panel balanced by different types of songwriters and different types of judges - some have a knack for imagery and a tendency to be kind. Some have emotional chops and a habit of tough love. Both are necessary for a well-rounded panel, and I intend to have both.
that thing hosted PH9?
