Okay, it’s been forever since I even looked over this site.

While our director continues on posting us updates regarding the production, I’m here to give you a list of upcoming changes.

New Layout & System. A bit of bad news. The original creator of FanUpdate has abandoned the script and there’s someone else who created a whole new site for this program however the person is just hosting the latest version in which the creator left off and apparently that’s the only version that we’ll be having. There will be a new layout soon and I will be converting the system to Wordpress. Unfortunately, I don’t think there is a way that we can move all the past entries to the new system so we’ll just have to start from scratch. Luckily that WP is a CMS, we can probably just add the old entries manually on another section called “FanUpdate Archives” or something, but at the moment I was able to find an SQL Injection Flaw fix to protect this site (and my server) from having an automatic SQL injection (meaning hackers can get in and corrupt and do their dirty deeds to this site and my server).

Because I’m pretty sure that many of us are sick of the pink, a new layout will be in the works. I’m just waiting for our director to create a fresh, new fan-art for the 2.0 version of VOLRP.

The new system will be totally full of awesomeness. Trust me on this one. I’ve been a major WP user for quite awhile now and I’m enjoying it. ^_^

Adrimarie
Webmaster (etc.), Voices of Lyoko Radio Play Official Site

Anyway, during the play, many MANY bad things happened, as well as many MANY good things. First, the good things:
1) WE ACTUALLY STAYED FOCUS!! >.< (Rehearsals would be chaotic and we would get nothing done, but once we actually started performing, the class' biggest clown would suddenly become the most focused guy backstage!)
2) The leads were amazing, and first-time actors gave it their all~! (Even a mentally-challenged student who was acting as a 1930s gangster. Despite a great distraction (I will explain in the next section), he did an AMAZING job~! ^v^ BRAVO~!
3) I didn’t miss my cue! ^v^ (I would keep missing this one cue during rehearsal because I was in a position backstage where I couldn’t hear the leads… x.x;;;)
And others… which I forgot… x.x;;;

So, now, moving onto the dreaded BAD things list:
1) One of the MAIN gangsters (who also happens to be a friend of mine, sadly) decides to try and sabotage the play for his own selfish reasons (loathing the teacher and wanting him to be embarassed infront of a portion of the school population) and SOMEHOW managed to get me and others invovled! (The lead male was pissed off and the female lead was embarrassed to the bone (her parents were watching)) Me and a couple of others wanted to scream at him.)
2) A guy forgot his lines! x.x;;; (This is what happens when a) you skip rehearsals and b) you don’t practice your lines)
3) I kept dropping my whisk backstage… x.x;;; (I’m a chef in the play)
4) I almost messed up a line. (But I prevailed!! -_-~*)
5) The audience didn’t laugh. (No wonder. Even if you say it’s a comedy, the only thing that’s going to make teenagers laugh nowadays are sexual innuendos. You’re giving them kiddy stuff! >.<)
6) Finally, the worst of them all: The director interrupted the show because of reason number 1. While I do agree that the guy was being stupid and selfish, I don’t think the director should’ve come out on stage, stopped the show, argued with the guy and then apologized to the audience for not having the show “go as rehearsed.” Times like these, you’re supposed to say, “Okay! Let’s go with that for now! (I’ll talk to him later…)” That’s what a GOOD director should do! -_-~*

Okay, personal life aside…. WE’RE BEHIND SCHEDULE!! OAO;;;;;;;;;

Oh noes… how did it get to this???? What did I do? Where are my lines, peoples!?

And where the heck is my producer…????

Oh yeah… I don’t have one; I’M the director… @A@;;;;

I guess all I can say now is… “Oh, please let this project miraculously be a success!” >.<;;;

VOLRP Director,
@vALoN

Before my PC crashed, I managed to transfer all of the VOLRP files to a CD, including a couple of raw voice clips of a few scenes. Mostly they’re Yumi and Ulrich scenes in the “present” (because those were the only full lines that I have recieved) and I am anxious to start on the Odd and Customer scene. ^^ Just waiting for someone to nab the role of the customer, Mr. Rocard.

Once I find my discs, I will GLADLY showcase what I have so far with you! (Lost somewhere with the move… OH NOZ! >.< )

This is the director, @vALoN, signing out~! ^^

P.S. If I find spam in the comments, there WILL be hell to pay! (Just unapproved another one… x.x )

That’s right, folks. Up until recently, my family and I have been renting out the same house for the past… what, 10 years now? We finally managed to buy a house that cost us a little over half a million, but after we fix it up, it’s sure to feel like home~ ^^ (Now do you see why I’m asking for lines until the end of August, cast?)

I just finished making a bunch of calls and filling out a bunch of online forms for our hydro, television, phone, mobile, internet, you name it. I just need to wait until dad comes home so that we can change the address on his AMEX. x.x

Now, directing-wise, life is… slow, shall we say? I’m not saying a good rest every once in a while is a bad thing, but… I REALLY need to keep myself busy or else I start having these horrible mood swings… x.x (Apparently, according to my sister, I’m bi-polar… x.x Sad thing is, she might be right.) The odd weather isn’t helping with my stress, either. Doesn’t help that I’ve been banned from video gaming for a while… a LONG while. (Ooh… and I got stuck on the Holoholo Bird and its stupid chicks in Baten Kaitos Origins again, though… x.x (That was the whole reason why I started the whole thing over again in the first place.)) So, I’m left with only three options for entertainment, since my lack of hard drive space won’t let me do much with my projects at this moment. (Saved everything onto CDs and deleted the originals on the comp for more space…. Got rid of Audacity, too.) 1) Finish reading “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” (the novel), 2) watch the rented DVDs from Blockbuster that we rent almost every night, or 3) finish watching K-ON! since Shangri-La hasn’t been updated yet… x.x

Hmm… it seems my producer has disappeared as well… not to mention that I’m missing lines. And I haven’t found a Waldo yet… Anybody know how to scout for voice actors on the VAA?

…Alright. This is the last week before I begin finalizing the cast… and crew for that matter. (It’s about time I taught Optimus how to produce tracks on Audacity.)

[ENTERING RANT MODE. BEWARE…]

Oh, and a few more things to that ANNOYING bastard who keeps requesting “brick furniture” or something? 1) STOP POSTING THOSE DAMN COMMENTS ALREADY!! (Notice how I’m “yelling?”) You know I’m just going to keep turning them down for being spam and an annoyance to all who is incharge of this site. 2) You’re an IDIOT to think that you can get away with something like this! Just because I’m a teenager doesn’t mean I’m dumb! Chances are, you’re not even reading this right now! (Why bother then? Well, it’s just in case this manages to catch your eye.) So, stop already, you understand? Because I don’t even want to SEE the words “brick” and “furniture” together again coming from the exact same address! Take your spam crap and go somewhere else! (Also, there’s NO SUCH THING as brick furniture! If they do exist, they’re probably the most uncomfortable damn things that the world has ever seen!) And pretending to be a foreigner with barely any basic English skills doesn’t help cover it up either. We’re not dumb. -.-#

[END OF RANT MODE. DON’T SAY I DIDN’T WARN YOU…]

Whoo… that felt better. Sorry for those who are not the bastard who read that. Had to tell the guy somehow, right?

But seriously, if I catch that guy again, I’m gonna have to ask Adri to ban them for me… x.x

Well, this is your director, signing out~!

Sincerely,
@vALoN

By next week—I hope!—I will be sending Adri (the webmistress) background music as well as a new soundtrack for the Downloads section, as well as—hopefully—an interview with one of the main cast members!

CAST AND CREW: If you wish to have the interview now for the first episode, please contact me so that we can decide a time to set up an audio interview over Skype or any other method that we can think of!

So, yes, we are actually going to start filling up the empty Media Download section~! Be sure to look forward to that~!

Your Director,
@vALoN

We are sad that you had to leave, and if you ever decide to come back, remember that we will have open arms for you when you do.

—————

Despite the fact that we have lost a crew member, THE SHOW MUST GO ON!!

Cast and Crew: We are nearing our production stage! We should be able to get started by late February or early March! That means, the first episode of “Voices of Lyoko” will be completed by summer of 2009!

Also, although we are missing a writer, we are not in need of hiring any more, as there are already too many people to have the work go around. (Right now, we are dividing the work into two people working with me with each episode.)

Until next time, folks!

Your Director,
@vALoN

First off, I’d like to thank Adri for keeping you all updated on our latest news during the production of “Voices of Lyoko” episode 1. As previously stated, we are nearing the completion of our pre-production stage and we will be beginning to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Right now, most of the cast are getting their lines recorded as we speak. We are still looking for some guest roles to be played, as well as a couple of minor lines. If you would like to add something to your resume by playing even a small role in this production, please feel free to contact me at avalon93@gmail.com or celestialtime93@hotmail.com.

Now, onto our latest news. First on the agenda, the group now has a name! I have decided to found “Hourglass River Productions.” The sub-group that is incharge of the “Voices of Lyoko” productions, as well as other fan productions will be called “FanClub Productions.”

Second on the agenda, I have just spoken to a friend of mine that I met a few years back at a songwriting organization for youth in middle school, and he has agreed to help us out with our project~! ^v^ That’s right, folks! Hourglass River/FanClub Productions has partnered up with both Five-Sectors AND The School Alliance of Student Songwriters of British Columbia! The young songwriters and performers will be having their works showcased in mid-March and their works will be protected under the Creative Commons License 3.0. More details will be released in the near future.

And finally, last on the agenda, we now have a Facebook group! You can become a member here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=65251726054. Please join and support our project~!

That’s all for now, folks! See you all later!

Your Director,
@vALoN

Also, as stated at the Latest News box, the Cast list has been updated with roles already filled. Again, if you recently joined the list, be sure to contact me so I can add you to the mailing list. The director has sent everyone the current copies of the script so be sure to review them before production begins. If you didn’t receive the email, please let the director or myself know and we’ll send you the copy scripts.

Other than that, that’s about it. I’m thinking of adding more staff in the site but haven’t had any ideas as of late.

Adrimarie
Webmaster (etc.), Voices of Lyoko Radio Play Official Site

But today we have a bit of important news. The director and some of the cast and crew (I wasn’t there so I don’t really know the whole story. I wish I can explain more to those who weren’t present then) had discussed about the main plot and some changes were made. And like everything else, I’m sure, are all subject to change.

You can find the plot changes in the About the Project section.

Adrimarie
Webmaster (etc.), Voices of Lyoko Radio Play Official Site

With that aside there is still a lot of stuff we need to cover in this site. I know there have been some new developments from the pre-production and casting side but because of our rather tedious scehdules it has been difficult for all of us to be on the same page. The director has been busy with her real-life (somewhat-related) situations in school while others concentrate their minds fully on their studies to pass these end-of-semester and/or quarter finals (I’m talking about those attending college and probably some high schools too) and those who are just plain exhausted and tired from their full-time jobs that they run out of inspiration to get some side projects done.

It’s been hectic from the site development end. I know so. I’ve been going around some blogging engine systems picking and figuring out the best possible system that we could use to put up some news, updates, and whatever we feel we want to write about. I wished I would have done more for this project, moreso as one of the scriptwritersof the radio play, however due to my hectic schedules on other things I just don’t have time to work on them. In addition to that, my poor performance in writing and continuing my first (and only) Code Lyoko fanfic already proved of my incapability of writing a CL-based scripted story. I suck, I know. x.x

In any case I still need some more info and “editing/proofreading” help regarding the content and text throughout the site. I also need any other ideas on how we can attract more visitors while they wait for any completed work ready to be downloaded. I’m still debating and pondering to myself whether we should also open up streamlined media for those who would rather listen online than downloading the core files. Maybe some of you may have some ideas to pitch in. You know we’re always open.

[HOME PAGE BLOG & UPDATES]
There are a few features included in this lightweight FanUpdate system. First up, it has smilies that you can use for your comments but I still need to figure out how to make them visible and clickable to everyone. Also if you like I can even change the smilies style too but that’ll be for later since it’s a minor thing.

Second, the commenting system supports Gravatars. They’re basically avatars like the ones you use in message boards and forums but they apply globally to blogs that support Gravatars. You sign up an account by going to the site (it’s for free like most services around the net) and upload your avatars. Depending on the blog you’re visiting your avatars/gravatars are automatically resized. For example, if you uploaded a 150×150 sized gravatar and you posted a comment in a blog that only supports 100×100 sized gravatars, then your 150×150 sized gravatar will automatically shrink to 100×100.

There are some more that I haven’t explored but that’s the gist of how the blog/updating system operates.

[PROMOTIONAL KITS]
We have a small section called Promotional Kits located in the Miscellaneous section of the site. This is where all of our usual link buttons, link banners, and such are located. I’m asking for contributions from all the digitally artistic ones out there so we can have more variety in promoting our project. Originally-drawn Fanart only unless the director says we can use the original images from the animated series itself. If you also want to use the director’s original fanart you need to ask her permission. Though I’m the one who built the site I still had to ask permission from her to use her fanart for the layout, so I’m no exception.

Speaking of Promotional Kits, now it’s your turn to do the promotions for this project! Link this site and promote it to all the places you usually go to, most especially at radio play/voice acting communities and at Code Lyoko forum communities. We need all the support that we need to make this project happen!

[LINKS & RESOURCES]
I linked some basic sites in there but if you have any recommended site or any site I may have missed in the list, please let us know. (You can email us or you can even leave a comment in this entry. It’s all up to you.) I will eventually open up a section of links for personal sites of the people involved in this project or simply your voice-acting resumes for extra plugs so if you have any, let us know!

… and now for some final thoughts…
I just want to point out how important our mailing list is and this is one major way for us to keep in touch with each other and that we are all on the same page. You all know what this means, right? CHECK YOUR EMAILS REGULARLY PLEASE!!!

Please do not submit any email addresses you don’t frequently use or a “dummy email address” in to the mailing list. We didn’t create the mailing list to spam your emails. As a member of this project we also expect everyone to be responsible in keeping in touch with the news and updates of this project. If you don’t like checking emails, then come and visit this site and read the blog entries here. You can even contact us via IMs or in PMs on forums. Don’t expect us to come to you and remind you of these things. If you’re not even going to bother doing what I mentioned just now then why are you even in this project?

There have been a few incidents here and there where this happened and personally it’s very upsetting and in a way, insulting at the same time. I’ve asked everyone to reply to me on one of my first mailing list emails I sent a few weeks ago to confirm if you have received my email or not by replying back to me. Out of 15+ people in this mailing list I only received 4 replies. I was expecting all 15+ to reply to me and I didn’t get them. So please, once again, do take responsibility and do us a favor by doing any one of the things I mentioned earlier.

And that’s it for now. If you have any questions, feel free to comment here or contact us via emails or something if you prefer to talk about your words in private.

Adrimarie
Webmaster (etc.), Voices of Lyoko Radio Play Project Official Site

I was able to get more content from the director therefore more sections are up—About the Project and Cast & Crew.

In addition to that there is one media file everyone can download in the Media Downloads section for Soundtrack. Just simply click on the Soundtrack link at the sidebar to your left under the Media Downloads box.

There was also a removal. After speaking with the director I moved the blog to the home page so we can use it both as a blog and as a news update section. Since it’s redundant to have the same thing under two different sections I decided to remove the blog section.

The site is almost finished, everyone! I’m pretty excited myself with the official launching. Give me some time to gather info for the remaining two sections that still needed to be opened. I’ll definitely post another update once the entire site is completed with some (tentative) content.

And that’s it for site updates! ^_^

Adrimarie
Webmaster (etc.), Voices of Lyoko Radio Play Official Site

I talked with Cataphrak at school (we’re two years apart and go to the same school) about the mailing list that Adri set up (Thankies so much, by the way~), and the first thing that came out of his mouth was, “Oh man! Now I have to start checking my e-mail.”

Yeah, not so reassuring, is it? -.-

Not only that, but I still have to set up meetings with the cast members, and I’m still trying to fit in the meetings with the crew as well. Oh, and I have school… thank god the holidays are coming!

I’m also currently working on a manga at school with the guys’ side of the manga/anime club at our high school. (Cataphrak and I are in the club) I’ll tell you this, starting something in the middle is NOT fun. -.-

As for this project, it’s starting to stress me out a bit, too, considering that I STILL haven’t recieved G-Man’s part of the script. (I already have Mylinda’s and I finished mine a month or two ago… x.x)

Yeah, hopefully the holidays will prove to be a time of miracles, because we’re really in need of one right now…

Now, it’s off to English Honors homework for me! (If any of you know “The Merchant of Venice,” feel free to help me out! (But, by then, most likely it’d be a little late… x.x)

Signing out, your director,
@vALoN

The opening of the Voices of Lyoko Radio Play site is on its way! Only thing left to do are the actual content, create the sections, and all that other good stuff. Hopefully this weekend our producer/director and possibly myself will start working on the sections this weekend.

Also, another reminder to any cast and crew members who may have not received any word from the director or from myself about this but the Voices of Lyoko Radio Play Mailing List (or VOLRP-ML for short) is now active. I’m pretty sure that both the blog and the mailing list will be used as tools of communication to all cast and crew since not all of us are in the same forums where we usually post our updates there, so please be sure that you are in the VOLRP-ML. If not, shoot an email (or PM if you’re a member of Five Sectors/5S) to me.

One last thing. FanUpdate is a single-user blogging/updating software unlike heavier blogging engines like Blogger, Wordpress, or Expression Engine, meaning that the author names will not be generated automatically. We’ll have to do this manually just so all of you know who wrote what. There’s nothing else I can do with this problem unless if I were an expert in PHP and actually write a modification script that would enable me to do this.

Once after the official opening of the site all VOLRP-ML emails may probably be posted here in case you all decided to get lazy and not check your emails. But who knows… this isn’t official either.

Adrimarie
Webmaster (etc.), Voices of Lyoko Radio Play Official Site